M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
18 Then David counted the people who were with him, and set captains of thousands over them, and captains of hundreds.
2 And David sent forth one third of the people under the hand of Joab, and one third of those under the hand of Abishai, Joab’s brother, the son of Zeruiah, and one third of those under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the people, “I will also go with you myself.”
3 But the people answered, “You shall not go forth! For if we flee away, they will not care about us! Nor will they care about us if half of us were killed! But you are now worth ten thousand of us! Therefore, now, it is better that you help us out of the city!”
4 Then the king said to them, “What seems best to you, that I will do.” So, 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, “Engage the young man Absalom gently, for my sake.” And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom.
6 So, the people went out into the field to meet Israel. And the battle was in the Forest of Ephraim,
7 where the people of Israel were killed before the servants of David. So, there was a great slaughter that day, of twenty thousand.
8 For the battle was scattered over all the country. And the forest devoured many more people that day than did the sword.
9 Now Absalom met the servants of David. And Absalom rode upon a mule. And the mule came under a great thick oak. And his head caught hold of the oak and he was taken up between the sky and the earth. And the mule that was under him went away.
10 And one who saw it told Joab, saying, “Behold, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak.”
11 Then Joab said to the man who told him, “And have you indeed seen? Why then did you not strike him to the ground there, and I would have given you ten shekels of silver and a girdle?”
12 Then the man said to Joab, “Even if I should receive a thousand shekels of silver in my hand, I would still not lay my hand upon the king’s son! For in our hearing, the king charged you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, ‘Beware, lest any touch the young man Absalom.’
13 “If I had done it, it would have been the danger of my life! For nothing can be hidden from the king! Yea, you yourself would have been against me!”
14 Then Joab said, “I will not wait with you like this.” And he took three arrows in his hand and thrust them through Absalom, while he was still alive in the midst of the oak.
15 And ten servants who bore Joab’s armor surrounded and struck Absalom, and killed him.
16 Then 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 forest and laid a mighty great heap of stones upon him. And all Israel fled, each one to his tent.
18 Now Absalom, in his lifetime, had taken and raised up a pillar for himself (which is in the king’s dale). For he said, “I have no son to keep my name in remembrance.” And he named the pillar after his own name. And to this day it is called “Absalom’s Place”.
19 Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, “Please let me run and bring the king the news that the LORD has delivered him out of the hand of his enemies.”
20 And Joab said to him, “You shall not be the messenger today. You shall bring news another time. But today you shall bear none. For the king’s son is dead.”
21 Then Joab said to Cushi, “Go! Tell the king what you have seen.” And Cushi bowed himself to Joab and ran.
22 Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said again to Joab, “But whatever happens, please let me also run after Cushi?” And Joab said, “Why, now, will you run, my son, seeing that you have no tidings to bring?”
23 “Still, let me run?” Then he said to him, “Run.” So Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain and overtook Cushi.
24 Now David sat between the two gates. And the watchman went to the top of the gate, upon the wall, and lifted up his eyes and saw. And behold, a man came running alone.
25 And the watchman cried and told the king. And the king said, “If he is alone, he brings news.” And he came quickly and drew near.
26 And the watchman saw another man running. And the watchman called to the potter, and said, “Behold, a man runs alone!” And the king said, “He also brings news.”
27 And the watchman said, “I think the running of the first is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok.” Then the king said, “He is a good man, and comes with good news.”
28 And Ahimaaz called, and said to the king, “Peace!” And he fell down to the earth upon his face before the king, and said, “Blessed be the LORD your God, Who has shut up the men who lift up their hands 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 your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I did not know what.”
30 And the king said to him, “Turn aside. Stand here.” So he turned aside and stood still.
31 And behold, Cushi came. And Cushi said, “News, my lord the king. For the LORD has delivered you this day out of the hand of all who rose against you!”
32 Then the king said to Cushi, “Is the young man Absalom safe?” And Cushi answered, “The enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise against you to do you harm, are as that young man is.”
33 And the king was moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept. And as he went, he said this: “O, my son Absalom! My son! My son, Absalom! Would that I had died for you, O Absalom, my son! My son!”
11 I wish you could suffer a little of my foolishness, and indeed, suffer me.
2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy. For I have prepared you for one husband; to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.
3 Yet I fear, however, that just as the serpent tricked Eve through his subtlety, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
4 For if someone comes, preaching another Jesus whom we have not preached - or if you receive another spirit whom you have not received, or another gospel which you have not received - you might well tolerate him.
5 For I suppose that I am not inferior to the very chief Apostles.
6 And though I am unskilled in speaking, I am not so in knowledge. And among you we have made ourselves clearly understood in all things.
7 Have I committed an offense because I abased myself, that you might be exalted; and because I freely preached to you the Gospel of God?
8 I robbed other churches, taking wages from them to do you service.
9 And when I was present with you, and had need, I was not a hindrance to anyone. For that which I was lacking, the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied. And in all things, I have myself from being burdensome to you, and will keep doing so.
10 As the truth of Christ is in me, this rejoicing shall not be taken from me in the regions of Achaia.
11 Why? Because I do not love you? God knows.
12 But what I do I will do so that I may cut off the opportunity of those who desire the opportunity to be found like us in that of which they boast.
13 For such false apostles are deceitful workers and transform themselves into the Apostles of Christ.
14 And it is no wonder; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
15 Therefore, it is no great thing for his ministers to transform themselves, as though they were the ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works.
16 I say again, let no one think that I am foolish, (or even take me as a fool) that I may also boast of myself a little.
17 What I speak, I do not speak according to the Lord but, as it were, foolishly, while we are boasting.
18 Seeing that many rejoice after the flesh, I will rejoice also.
19 For you endure fools gladly, because you are wise.
20 For you endure, even if someone enslaves you, if someone devours you, if someone takes from you, if someone exalts himself, if someone strikes you on the face.
21 Concerning dishonor I speak as though we were weak. But wherein anyone is bold (I speak foolishly) I am bold also.
22 They are Hebrews, so am I. They are Israelites, so am I. They are the seed of Abraham, so am I.
23 They are the ministers of Christ. (I speak as a fool) I am more: in labors, more abundant; in stripes, above measure; in prison, more exceedingly; in death, often.
24 Five times I have received forty stripes minus one from the Jews.
25 Three times I was beaten with rods. I was once stoned. I suffered shipwreck three times. Night and day, I have been on the deep sea.
26 While journeying I was often in perils from waters, in perils from robbers, in perils from my own nation, in perils among the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brothers,
27 in weariness and painfulness, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and in nakedness.
28 Besides outward things, I am daily-laden, and care for all the churches.
29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is offended, and I do not burn?
30 If I must boast, I will boast of my infirmities.
31 The God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is blessed forevermore, knows that I do not lie.
32 In Damascus, the governor of the people under King Aretas posted a guard over the city of the Damascenes and would have caught me.
33 But at a window, I was let down in a basket, through the wall, and escaped his hands.
25 The Word of the LORD came again to me, saying:
2 “Son of man, set your face against the Ammonites, and prophesy against them,
3 “and say to the Ammonites, ‘Hear the Word of the Lord GOD! Thus says the Lord GOD: “Because you said, ‘Ha, ha!’ against My Sanctuary when it was defiled, 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 you to the men of the East for a possession. And they shall set their palaces in you and make their dwellings in you. They shall eat your fruit and they shall drink your milk.
5 “And I will make Rabbah a dwelling place for camels, and the Ammonites a sheepcote. And you shall know that I am the LORD.”
6 ‘For thus says the Lord GOD: “Because you have clapped the hands, and stamped with the feet, and rejoiced in heart with all your spite against the land of Israel,
7 “behold, therefore, I will stretch out My Hand upon you, and will deliver you to be plundered by the heathen. And I will root you out from the people; and I will cause you to perish from the countries. I will destroy you. And you shall know that I am the LORD.”
8 ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Because Moab and Seir say, ‘Behold, the House of Judah is like all the heathen,’
9 “therefore, behold, I will open the side of Moab, of the cities, of its cities on its frontiers with the pleasant country: Beth-Jeshimoth, Baal Meon, and Kirjathaim.
10 “And I will give it and the Ammonites to the men of the East as a possession, so that the Ammonites shall no longer be remembered among the nations.
11 “And I will execute judgments upon Moab; and they shall know that I am the LORD.”
12 ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Because of what Edom has done by taking vengeance upon the House of Judah, and committing great offense, and avenging himself upon them,”
13 ‘therefore, thus says the Lord GOD: “I will also stretch out My Hand upon Edom and destroy man and beast from it. And I will make it desolate from Teman. And those of Dedan shall fall by the sword.
14 “And I will execute My vengeance upon Edom by the hand of My people Israel. And they shall do in Edom according to My anger, and according to My indignation. And they shall know My vengeance,” says the Lord GOD.
15 ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Because the Philistines have executed vengeance, and avenged themselves with a spiteful heart, to destroy it for the old hatred,”
16 ‘therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “behold, I will stretch out My Hand upon the Philistines. And I will cut off the Cherethims and destroy the remnant of the seacoast.
17 “And I will execute great vengeance upon them with rebukes of My indignation. And they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall lay My vengeance upon them.”’”
73 Truly, God is good to Israel, to the pure in heart!
2 As for me, my feet were almost gone. My steps had very nearly slipped.
3 For I envied the boastful when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 For there are no pains in their death; but they are lusty and strong.
5 They are not in trouble as other men, nor are they plagued like other men.
6 Therefore, pride is as a necklace to them, and cruelty covers them as a garment.
7 Their eyes bulge with fatness. They have more than heart can wish.
8 They mock and wickedly speak of oppression. They talk presumptuously.
9 They set their mouth against Heaven, and their tongue walks through the Earth.
10 Therefore, his people return here; for waters of abundance are drained by them,
11 and they say, “How does God know it?” or “Is there knowledge in the Most High?”
12 Lo, these are the wicked; yet they always prosper and increase in riches.
13 Certainly, I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocence.
14 For I have been punished daily and chastened every morning.
15 If I say, “I will judge like this,” behold, I have trespassed the generation of Your children.
16 When I tried to understand this, it was too painful for me,
17 Then I went into the Sanctuary of God, and I understood their end.
18 Surely, You have set them in slippery places, and cast them down into desolation.
19 How suddenly they are destroyed, ended and horribly consumed,
20 As a dream when one awakes, O LORD, shall You make their image despised when You raise us up.
21 Certainly, my heart was grieved; and I was pricked in my core.
22 So foolish was I and ignorant! I was a beast before You!
23 Yet, I was always with You. You have held my right hand.
24 You will guide me by Your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.
25 Whom do I have in Heaven but You? And, I have desired nothing on the Earth besides You.
26 My flesh fails and my heart also. God is the strength of my heart and my portion, forever.
27 For lo, those who withdraw themselves from You shall perish. You destroy all those who are unfaithful to You.
28 As for me, it is good for me to draw near to God. I have put my trust in the LORD God, so that I may declare all Your works. A Psalm to give instruction, committed to Asaph
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