M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

Saul Takes His Life^(A)

31 Now the Philistines fought against Israel; the Israelites fled before them, and many fell dead on Mount Gilboa.^{(B) 2} The Philistines were in hot pursuit of Saul and his sons,^(C) and they killed his sons Jonathan,^(D) Abinadab and Malki-Shua.^{(E) 3} The fighting grew fierce around Saul, and when the archers overtook him, they wounded^(F) him critically.

⁴ Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through,^(G) or these uncircumcised^(H) fellows will come and run me through and abuse me.”

But his armor-bearer was terrified and would not do it; so Saul took his own sword and fell on it. ⁵ When the armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died with him. ⁶ So Saul and his three sons and his armor-bearer and all his men died^(I) together that same day.

⁷ When the Israelites along the valley and those across the Jordan saw that the Israelite army had fled and that Saul and his sons had died, they abandoned their towns and fled. And the Philistines came and occupied them.

⁸ The next day, when the Philistines^(J) came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. ⁹ They cut off his head and stripped off his armor, and they sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news^(K) in the temple of their idols and among their people.^{(L) 10} They put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths^(M) and fastened his body to the wall of Beth Shan.^(N)

¹¹ When the people of Jabesh Gilead^(O) heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, ¹² all their valiant men^(P) marched through the night to Beth Shan. They took down the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth Shan and went to Jabesh, where they burned^(Q) them. ¹³ Then they took their bones^(R) and buried them under a tamarisk^(S) tree at Jabesh, and they fasted^(T) seven days.^(U)

11 ¹ Follow my example,^(A) as I follow the example of Christ.^(B)

On Covering the Head in Worship

² I praise you^(C) for remembering me in everything^(D) and for holding to the traditions just as I passed them on to you.^{(E) 3} But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ,^(F) and the head of the woman is man,^[a](G) and the head of Christ is God.^{(H) 4} Every man who prays or prophesies^(I) with his head covered dishonors his head. ⁵ But every woman who prays or prophesies^(J) with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is the same as having her head shaved.^{(K) 6} For if a woman does not cover her head, she might as well have her hair cut off; but if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, then she should cover her head.

⁷ A man ought not to cover his head,^[b] since he is the image^(L) and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. ⁸ For man did not come from woman, but woman from man;^{(M) 9} neither was man created for woman, but woman for man.^{(N) 10} It is for this reason that a woman ought to have authority over her own^[c] head, because of the angels. ¹¹ Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. ¹² For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God.^(O)

¹³ Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? ¹⁴ Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, ¹⁵ but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering. ¹⁶ If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice—nor do the churches of God.^(P)

Correcting an Abuse of the Lord’s Supper^(Q)

¹⁷ In the following directives I have no praise for you,^(R) for your meetings do more harm than good. ¹⁸ In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions^(S) among you, and to some extent I believe it. ¹⁹ No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval.^{(T) 20} So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, ²¹ for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers.^(U) As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk. ²² Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God^(V) by humiliating those who have nothing?^(W) What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you?^(X) Certainly not in this matter!

²³ For I received from the Lord^(Y) what I also passed on to you:^(Z) The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, ²⁴ and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body,^(AA) which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” ²⁵ In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant^(AB) in my blood;^(AC) do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” ²⁶ For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.^(AD)

²⁷ So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.^{(AE) 28} Everyone ought to examine themselves^(AF) before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. ²⁹ For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. ³⁰ That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.^{(AG) 31} But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment.^{(AH) 32} Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined^(AI) so that we will not be finally condemned with the world.^(AJ)

³³ So then, my brothers and sisters, when you gather to eat, you should all eat together. ³⁴ Anyone who is hungry^(AK) should eat something at home,^(AL) so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment.

And when I come^(AM) I will give further directions.

Judgment on the Idolaters

9 Then I heard him call out in a loud voice, “Bring near those who are appointed to execute judgment on the city, each with a weapon in his hand.” ² And I saw six men coming from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with a deadly weapon in his hand. With them was a man clothed in linen^(A) who had a writing kit at his side. They came in and stood beside the bronze altar.

³ Now the glory^(B) of the God of Israel went up from above the cherubim,^(C) where it had been, and moved to the threshold of the temple. Then the Lord called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side ⁴ and said to him, “Go throughout the city of Jerusalem^(D) and put a mark^(E) on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament^(F) over all the detestable things that are done in it.^(G)”

⁵ As I listened, he said to the others, “Follow him through the city and kill, without showing pity^(H) or compassion.^{(I) 6} Slaughter^(J) the old men, the young men and women, the mothers and children,^(K) but do not touch anyone who has the mark.^(L) Begin at my sanctuary.” So they began with the old men^(M) who were in front of the temple.^(N)

⁷ Then he said to them, “Defile the temple and fill the courts with the slain.^(O) Go!” So they went out and began killing throughout the city. ⁸ While they were killing and I was left alone, I fell facedown,^(P) crying out, “Alas, Sovereign Lord!^(Q) Are you going to destroy the entire remnant of Israel in this outpouring of your wrath^(R) on Jerusalem?^(S)”

⁹ He answered me, “The sin of the people of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great; the land is full of bloodshed and the city is full of injustice.^(T) They say, ‘The Lord has forsaken the land; the Lord does not see.’^{(U) 10} So I will not look on them with pity^(V) or spare them, but I will bring down on their own heads what they have done.^(W)”

¹¹ Then the man in linen with the writing kit at his side brought back word, saying, “I have done as you commanded.”

Psalm 48^[a]

A song. A psalm of the Sons of Korah.