M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Sheba Leads Israel Away from David
20 It happened that a troublemaker named Sheba son of Bicri from the tribe of Benjamin was there. He blew the trumpet and said:
“We have no share in David!
We have no part in the son of Jesse!
People of Israel, let’s go home!”
2 So all the Israelites left David and followed Sheba son of Bicri. But the people of Judah stayed with their king all the way from the Jordan River to Jerusalem.
3 David came back to his palace in Jerusalem. He had left ten of his slave women there to take care of the palace. Now he put them in a locked house. He gave them food, but he did not have sexual relations with them. So they lived like widows until they died.
4 The king said to Amasa, “Tell the men of Judah to meet with me in three days, and you must also be here.” 5 So Amasa went to call the men of Judah together, but he took more time than the king had said.
6 David said to Abishai, “Sheba son of Bicri is more dangerous to us than Absalom was. Take my men and chase him before he finds walled cities and escapes from us.” 7 So Joab’s men, the Kerethites and the Pelethites,[a] and all the soldiers went with Abishai. They went out from Jerusalem to chase Sheba son of Bicri.
8 When Joab and the army came to the great rock at Gibeon, Amasa came out to meet them. Joab was wearing his uniform, and at his waist he wore a belt that held his sword in its case. As Joab stepped forward, his sword fell out of its case. 9 Joab asked Amasa, “Brother, is everything all right with you?” Then with his right hand he took Amasa by the beard to kiss him. 10 Amasa was not watching the sword in Joab’s hand. So Joab pushed the sword into Amasa’s stomach, causing Amasa’s insides to spill onto the ground. Joab did not have to stab Amasa again; he was already dead. Then Joab and his brother Abishai continued to chase Sheba son of Bicri.
11 One of Joab’s young men stood by Amasa’s body and said, “Everyone who is for Joab and David should follow Joab!” 12 Amasa lay in the middle of the road, covered with his own blood. When the young man saw that everyone was stopping to look at the body, he dragged it from the road, laid it in a field, and put a cloth over it. 13 After Amasa’s body was taken off the road, all the men followed Joab to chase Sheba son of Bicri.
14 Sheba went through all the tribes of Israel to Abel Beth Maacah. All the Berites also came together and followed him. 15 So Joab and his men came to Abel Beth Maacah and surrounded it. They piled dirt up against the city wall, and they began hacking at the walls to bring them down.
16 But a wise woman shouted out from the city, “Listen! Listen! Tell Joab to come here. I want to talk to him!”
17 So Joab came near her. She asked him, “Are you Joab?”
He answered, “Yes, I am.”
Then she said, “Listen to what I say.”
Joab said, “I’m listening.”
18 Then the woman said, “In the past people would say, ‘Ask for advice at Abel,’ and the problem would be solved. 19 I am one of the peaceful, loyal people of Israel. You are trying to destroy an important city of Israel. Why must you destroy what belongs to the Lord?”
20 Joab answered, “I would prefer not to destroy or ruin anything! 21 That is not what I want. But there is a man here from the mountains of Ephraim, who is named Sheba son of Bicri. He has turned against King David. If you bring him to me, I will leave the city alone.”
The woman said to Joab, “His head will be thrown over the wall to you.”
22 Then the woman spoke very wisely to all the people of the city. They cut off the head of Sheba son of Bicri and threw it over the wall to Joab. So he blew the trumpet, and the army left the city. Every man returned home, and Joab went back to the king in Jerusalem.
23 Joab was commander of all the army of Israel. Benaiah son of Jehoiada led the Kerethites and Pelethites. 24 Adoniram was in charge of the men who were forced to do hard work. Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder. 25 Sheba was the royal secretary. Zadok and Abiathar were the priests, 26 and Ira the Jairite was David’s priest.
Final Warnings and Greetings
13 I will come to you for the third time. “Every case must be proved by two or three witnesses.”[a] 2 When I was with you the second time, I gave a warning to those who had sinned. Now I am away from you, and I give a warning to all the others. When I come to you again, I will not be easy with them. 3 You want proof that Christ is speaking through me. My proof is that he is not weak among you, but he is powerful. 4 It is true that he was weak when he was killed on the cross, but he lives now by God’s power. It is true that we are weak in Christ, but for you we will be alive in Christ by God’s power.
5 Look closely at yourselves. Test yourselves to see if you are living in the faith. You know that Jesus Christ is in you—unless you fail the test. 6 But I hope you will see that we ourselves have not failed the test. 7 We pray to God that you will not do anything wrong. It is not important to see that we have passed the test, but it is important that you do what is right, even if it seems we have failed. 8 We cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. 9 We are happy to be weak, if you are strong, and we pray that you will become complete. 10 I am writing this while I am away from you so that when I come I will not have to be harsh in my use of authority. The Lord gave me this authority to build you up, not to tear you down.
11 Now, brothers and sisters, I say good-bye. Live in harmony. Do what I have asked you to do. Agree with each other, and live in peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you.
12 Greet each other with a holy kiss. 13 All of God’s holy people send greetings to you.
14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
A Funeral Song for Tyre
27 The Lord spoke his word to me, saying: 2 “Human, sing a funeral song for the city of Tyre. 3 Speak to Tyre, which has ports for the Mediterranean Sea and is a place for trade for the people of many lands along the seacoast. ‘This is what the Lord God says:
Tyre, you have said,
“I am like a beautiful ship.”
4 You were at home on the high seas.
Your builders made your beauty perfect.
5 They made all your boards
of fir trees from Mount Hermon.
They took a cedar tree from Lebanon
to make a ship’s mast for you.
6 They made your oars
from oak trees from Bashan.
They made your deck
from cypress trees from the coast of Cyprus
and set ivory into it.
7 Your sail of linen with designs sewed on it came from Egypt
and became like a flag for you.
Your cloth shades over the deck were blue and purple
and came from the island of Cyprus.
8 Men from Sidon and Arvad used oars to row you.
Tyre, your skilled men were the sailors on your deck.
9 Workers of Byblos were with you,
putting caulk[a] in your ship’s seams.
All the ships of the sea and their sailors
came alongside to trade with you.
10 “‘Men of Persia, Lydia, and Put
were warriors in your navy
and hung their shields and helmets on your sides.
They made you look beautiful.
11 Men of Arvad and Cilicia
guarded your city walls all around.
Men of Gammad
were in your watchtowers
and hung their shields around your walls.
They made your beauty perfect.
12 “‘People of Tarshish became traders for you because of your great wealth. They traded your goods for silver, iron, tin, and lead.
13 “‘People of Greece, Tubal, and Meshech became merchants for you. They traded your goods for slaves and items of bronze.
14 “‘People of Beth Togarmah traded your goods for work horses, war horses, and mules.
15 “‘People of Rhodes became merchants for you, selling your goods on many coastlands. They brought back ivory tusks and valuable black wood as your payment.
16 “‘People of Aram became traders for you, because you had so many good things to sell. They traded your goods for turquoise, purple cloth, cloth with designs sewed on, fine linen, coral, and rubies.
17 “‘People of Judah and Israel became merchants for you. They traded your goods for wheat from Minnith, and for honey, olive oil, and balm.
18-19 “‘People of Damascus became traders for you because you have many good things and great wealth. They traded your goods for wine from Helbon, wool from Zahar, and barrels of wine from Izal. They received wrought iron, cassia, and sugar cane in payment for your good things.
20 “‘People of Dedan became merchants for you, trading saddle blankets for riding.
21 “‘People of Arabia and all the rulers of Kedar became traders for you. They received lambs, male sheep, and goats in payment for you.
22 “‘The merchants of Sheba and Raamah became merchants for you. They traded your goods for all the best spices, valuable gems, and gold.
23 “‘People of Haran, Canneh, Eden, and the traders of Sheba, Asshur, and Kilmad became merchants for you. 24 They were paid with the best clothes, blue cloth, cloth with designs sewed on, carpets of many colors, and tightly wound ropes.
25 “‘Trading ships
carried the things you sold.
You were like a ship full of heavy cargo
in the middle of the sea.
26 The men who rowed you
brought you out into the high seas,
but the east wind broke you to pieces
in the middle of the sea.
27 Your wealth, your trade, your goods,
your seamen, your sailors, your workers,
your traders, your warriors,
and everyone else on board
sank into the sea
on the day your ship was wrecked.
28 The people on the shore shake with fear
when your sailors cry out.
29 All the men who row
leave their ships;
the seamen and the sailors of other ships
stand on the shore.
30 They cry loudly about you;
they cry very much.
They throw dust on their heads
and roll in ashes to show they are sad.
31 They shave their heads for you,
and they put on rough cloth to show they are upset.
They cry and sob for you;
they cry loudly.
32 And in their loud crying
they sing a funeral song for you:
“No one was ever destroyed like Tyre,
surrounded by the sea.”
33 When the goods you traded went out over the seas,
you met the needs of many nations.
With your great wealth and goods,
you made kings of the earth rich.
34 But now you are broken by the sea
and have sunk to the bottom.
Your goods and all the people on board
have gone down with you.
35 All those who live along the shore
are shocked by what happened to you.
Their kings are terribly afraid,
and their faces show their fear.
36 The traders among the nations hiss at you.
You have come to a terrible end,
and you are gone forever.’”
God the Judge
For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A psalm of Asaph. A song.
75 God, we thank you;
we thank you because you are near.
We tell about the miracles you do.
2 You say, “I set the time for trial,
and I will judge fairly.
3 The earth with all its people may shake,
but I am the one who holds it steady. Selah
4 I say to those who are proud, ‘Don’t brag,’
and to the wicked, ‘Don’t show your power.
5 Don’t try to use your power against heaven.
Don’t be stubborn.’”
6 No one from the east or the west
or the desert can judge you.
7 God is the judge;
he judges one person as guilty and another as innocent.
8 The Lord holds a cup of anger in his hand;
it is full of wine mixed with spices.
He pours it out even to the last drop,
and the wicked drink it all.
9 I will tell about this forever;
I will sing praise to the God of Jacob.
10 He will take all power away from the wicked,
but the power of good people will grow.
The God Who Always Wins
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm of Asaph. A song.
76 People in Judah know God;
his fame is great in Israel.
2 His Tent is in Jerusalem;
his home is on Mount Zion.
3 There God broke the flaming arrows,
the shields, the swords, and the weapons of war. Selah
4 God, how wonderful you are!
You are more splendid than the hills full of animals.
5 The brave soldiers were stripped
as they lay asleep in death.
Not one warrior
had the strength to stop it.
6 God of Jacob, when you spoke strongly,
horses and riders fell dead.
7 You are feared;
no one can stand against you when you are angry.
8 From heaven you gave the decision,
and the earth was afraid and silent.
9 God, you stood up to judge
and to save the needy people of the earth. Selah
10 People praise you for your anger against evil.
Those who live through your anger are stopped from doing more evil.
11 Make and keep your promises to the Lord your God.
From all around, gifts should come to the God we worship.
12 God breaks the spirits of great leaders;
the kings on earth fear him.
The Holy Bible, New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.