M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Retribution for the Gibeonites
21 One time there was a famine during David’s reign that went on for three straight years. David sought the Lord, who[a] said, “Saul and his household are guilty because he executed the Gibeonites.”
2 So the king called together the Gibeonites and conferred with them. Now the Gibeonites weren’t part of the nation of Israel, but were the survivors from the Amorites. Although the Israelis had promised to spare them, Saul had started to execute them in his zeal for the people of Israel and Judah.
3 So David asked the Gibeonites, “What am I to do for you? How am I to make atonement so that you will bless the Lord’s heritage?”
4 “We’re not looking for mere silver or gold to be paid by Saul or his household to us,” the Gibeonites responded to him. “And it’s not for us to execute anyone in Israel.”
In reply, David[b] asked, “So what are you asking me to do for you?”
5 They told the king, “The man who consumed us, who planned our destruction—intending to leave us with nothing in the territory of Israel— 6 is to have[c] seven of his sons turned over to us. We will hang[d] them in the presence of the Lord at Gibeah, which belonged to Saul, whom the Lord chose.”
So the king answered, “I will give them.”[e] 7 The king exempted Mephibosheth, the son of Saul’s son Jonathan, because of the promise to the Lord that existed between David and Saul’s son Jonathan.
8 Instead, the king arrested Aiah’s daughter Rizpah’s two sons Armoni and Mephibosheth, whom she had borne to Saul, and the five sons of Saul’s daughter Merab, whom she had borne to Barzillai the Meholathite’s son Adriel. 9 Then he turned them over to the custody of the Gibeonites, who hanged them on the mountain in the presence of the Lord. All seven of them died at the same time. They were executed during the first days of harvest, just as the barley began to be gathered in.
10 Then Aiah’s daughter Rizpah grabbed some sackcloth and spread it out for herself on the rock where her children had been hanged[f] from the beginning of harvest until the first rain fell from the sky. She would not allow any scavenger birds[g] to land on them during the day nor the beasts of the field to approach them[h] at night.
11 When David was informed what Rizpah, the daughter of Saul’s mistress[i] had done, 12 David had Saul’s bones and the bones of his son Jonathan removed from the custody of certain men from Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the public square in Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them—that is, back on the day when the Philistines had killed Saul on Mount[j] Gilboa. 13 He brought the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from there along with the bones of those who had been hanged, 14 and they buried Saul’s bones and his son Jonathan’s bones in the territory of Benjamin in Zela, in the tomb of Saul’s[k] father Kish. After they had done everything that the king commanded, God responded to prayers for the land.[l]
Israel Battles Four Giants from Gath(A)
15 Afterwards, war broke out between the Philistines and Israel, so David went down to fight the Philistines. David became weary, 16 and Ishbi-benob, who had been fathered by giants,[m] said he intended to kill David. (His bronze spearhead weighed 300 shekels,[n] and he carried state-of-the-art[o] weaponry.) 17 But Zeruiah’s son Abishai came to David’s aid, attacked the Philistine, and killed him. After this, David’s army told him, “You’re not going out anymore with us to battle, so Israel’s beacon won’t be extinguished!” 18 Sometime later after this incident, there was another battle with the Philistines at Gob. Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Saph, who had been fathered by giants. 19 In yet another battle at Gob, Jaare-oregim the Bethlehemite’s son Elhanan killed Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear resembled that of a weaver’s beam. 20 Later on, there was another battle at Gath, where there was a very tall man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot—24 in number—who had also been fathered by giants. 21 When he defied Israel, David’s brother Shimeah’s son Jonathan killed him. 22 These four giants, who had been fathered by a giant in Gath, were killed at the hands of David and his servants.
Greetings from Paul
1 From:[a] Paul—an apostle not sent[b] from men or by a man, but by Jesus the Messiah,[c] and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— 2 and all the brothers who are with me.
To: The churches in Galatia.
3 May grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus, the Messiah,[d] be yours! 4 He gave himself for our sins in order to rescue us from this present evil age according to the will of our God and Father. 5 To him be the glory forever and ever! Amen.
There is No Other Gospel
6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of the Messiah[e] and, instead, are following[f] a different gospel, 7 not that another one really exists. To be sure, there are certain people who are troubling you and want to distort the gospel about the Messiah.[g] 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should proclaim to you[h] a gospel contrary to what we proclaimed to you, let that person be condemned! 9 What we have told you in the past I am now telling you again: If anyone proclaims to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let that person be condemned! 10 Am I now trying to win the approval of people or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be the Messiah’s[i] servant.[j]
Jesus Himself Gave Paul His Message
11 For[k] I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel that was proclaimed by me is not of human origin. 12 For I did not receive it from a man, nor was I taught it, but it was revealed to me by Jesus the Messiah.[l] 13 For you have heard about my earlier life in Judaism—how I kept violently persecuting God’s church and was trying to destroy it. 14 I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries, because I was far more zealous for the traditions of my ancestors.
15 But when God, who set me apart before I was born and who called me by his grace, was pleased 16 to reveal his Son to me so that I might proclaim him among the gentiles, I did not confer with another human being[m] at any time, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see[n] those who were apostles before me. Instead, I went away to Arabia and then came back to Damascus.
18 Then three years later, I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas,[o] and I stayed with him for fifteen days. 19 But I did not see any other apostle except James, the Lord’s brother. 20 (Before God, what I’m writing to you is the truth.)[p] 21 Then I went to the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22 But the churches of the Messiah[q] that are in Judea did not yet know me personally. 23 The only thing they kept hearing was this: “The man who used to persecute us is now proclaiming the faith he once tried to destroy!” 24 So they kept glorifying God for what had happened to[r] me.
Prophecy against Tyre
28 This message came to me from the Lord: 2 “Son of Man, tell Tyre’s Commander-in-Chief,[a] ‘This is what the Lord God says:
“Because your heart is arrogant,[b]
and because you keep saying,
‘I have taken my seat,
I am a god,
seated in God’s seat right in the middle[c] of the sea,’[d]
and because you’re a man,
and not a god,
even though you pretend
that you have a god-like heart…
3 Look! You’re wiser than Daniel, aren’t you?
No secret is too mysterious for you!
4 Your wisdom and understanding
brought you phenomenal wealth.
You’ve brought gold and silver
into your treasuries.
5 By your great wisdom,
by your skills in trading
you have amassed wealth for yourself
and your heart has become arrogant
because of your wealth.”
6 Therefore this is what the Lord God says:
“Because you’ve made your heart
like that of God
7 Therefore, look!
I’m bringing foreigners in your direction,
the most terrifying of nations!
They will direct their violence[e]
against the grandeur
that you’ve created by your wisdom.
8 They’ll send you down to the Pit,[f]
and you’ll die defiled in the depths of the sea.
9 Is that when you’ll say, ‘I’m God’
to the face of those who will be killing you?
After all, you’re a man,
and have never been a god,
especially when you’re under the control[g] of those
who will defile you!
10 You will die a death fit for the uncircumcised
at the hand of foreigners.”
‘for I have said it will be so,’
declares the Lord.”
A Rebuke for Tyre’s King
11 Another message came to me from the Lord, and this is what it said: 12 “Son of Man, start singing this lamentation for the king of Tyre. Tell him, ‘This is what the Lord God says:
“You served as my[h] model,
my example of complete wisdom
and perfect beauty.
13 You used to be in Eden—
God’s paradise!
You wore precious stones for clothing:
ruby,[i] topaz, diamond,[j]
beryl,[k] onyx, jasper,
sapphire,[l] turquoise, and carbuncle.
Your settings were crafted in gold,
along with your engravings.
On the day of your creation
they had been prepared!
14 “You were the anointed cherub;
having been set in place
on the holy mountain of God,
you walked in the midst of fiery stones.
15 You were blameless in your behavior[m]
from the day you were created
until wickedness was discovered in you.
16 Since your vast business planning[n]
filled you with violent intent[o]
from top to bottom,[p]
you sinned,
so I cast you away as defiled
from the mountain of God.
I destroyed you,
you guardian cherub,
from the midst of the fiery stones.
17 Your heart grew arrogant because of your beauty;
you annihilated your own wisdom
because of your splendor.
Then I threw you to the ground
in the presence of kings,
giving them a good look at you!
18 By all of your iniquity
and unrighteous business planning[q]
you defiled your sanctuaries,
so I’m going to bring out fire from within you
and burn you to ashes on the earth
before the whole watching world!
19 Everyone who knows you
throughout all the nations
will be appalled at your calamity
and you will no longer exist forever.”’”
The Judgment of Sidon
20 Another message came to me from the Lord, who had this to say:
21 “Son of Man, turn your attention[r] to Sidon and prophesy against her.[s] 22 Tell her:
‘Pay attention to me, Sidon!
I’m against you,
and I’m going to glorify myself right in your midst.’
They’ll learn that I am the Lord
when I carry out these punishments
and manifest my holiness in her midst.
23 I’m going to send disease into that city[t]
and blood into her streets.
People will drop dead in her midst
from the violence done to[u] her from every side.
Then they’ll learn that I am the Lord God.”
The Future Regathering of Israel
24 “The house of Israel will never again suffer from painful briers and sharp thorn bushes that surround them on every side, and they will learn that I am the Lord. 25 This is what the Lord God says:
‘When I gather the house of Israel from the nations to which I’ve scattered them, I will show them my holiness before the watching world, and they will live on the land that I gave to my servant Jacob. 26 They will live in safety in the land,[v] building houses and planting vineyards. They’ll live in safety while I judge everyone who maligns them among those who surround them. At that time they’ll learn that I am the Lord their God.’”
To the director: To Jeduthun. A psalm of Asaph.
Remembering God in Times of Trouble
77 I cry out to God!
I cry out to God and he hears me.
2 When I was in distress, I sought the Lord;
my hands were raised at night
and they did not grow weary.
I refused to be comforted.
3 I remember God, and I groan;
I meditate, while my spirit grows faint.
4 You kept my eyes open;
I was troubled and couldn’t speak.
5 I thought of ancient times,
considering years long past.
6 During the night I remembered my song.
I meditate in my heart,
and my spirit ponders.
7 Will the Lord reject me[a] forever
and not show favor again?
8 Has his gracious love ceased forever?
Will his promise be unfulfilled in future generations?
9 Has God forgotten to be gracious?
Has he in anger withheld his compassion?
10 So I say: “It causes me pain
that the right hand of the Most High has changed.”
11 I will remember the Lord’s deeds;
indeed, I will remember your awesome deeds from long ago.
12 As I meditate on all your works,
I will consider your awesome deeds.
13 God, your way is holy.
What god is like our great God?
14 God, you are the one performing awesome deeds.
You reveal your might among the nations.
15 You delivered[b] your people—
the descendants of Jacob and Joseph—
with your power.
16 The waters saw you, God;
the waters saw you and writhed.
Indeed, the depths of the sea quaked.
17 The clouds poured rain;
the skies rumbled.
Indeed, your lightning bolts flashed.[c]
18 Your thunderous sound was in a whirlwind;
your lightning lights up the world;
the earth becomes agitated and quakes.
19 Your way was through the sea,
and your path through mighty waters,
but your footprints cannot be traced.[d]
20 You have led your people like a flock
by the hands of Moses and Aaron.
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