M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
20 Then Ben-Hadad, the king of Aram, assembled all his army, and thirty-two kings with him, with horses and chariots, and went up and besieged Samaria, and fought against it.
2 And he sent messengers to Ahab, king of Israel, into the city,
3 and said to him, “Thus says Ben-Hadad, ‘Your silver and your gold is mine. Also, your women and your fair children are mine.’”
4 And the king of Israel answered, and said, “My lord king, according to your saying, I am yours, and all that I have.”
5 And when the messengers came back, they said, “Thus commands Ben-Hadad, and says, ‘When I shall send to you and command, you shall deliver to me your silver and your gold and your women and your children.
6 ‘Or else, I will send my servants to you by tomorrow at this time, and they shall search your house, and the houses of your servants, and whatever is pleasant in your eyes they shall take it in their hands and bring it away.’”
7 Then the king of Israel sent for all the elders of the land, and said, “Take heed, please, and see how he seeks mischief. For he sent to me for my wives, and for my children, and for my silver, and for my gold. And I did not deny him.”
8 And all the elders and all the people said to him, “Do not listen to him, or consent.”
9 Therefore he said to the messengers of Ben-Hadad, “Tell my lord the king, ‘All that you sent for to your servant the first time, that I will do. But this thing I cannot do.’” And the messengers departed and brought him an answer.
10 And Ben-Hadad sent to him, and said, “The gods do so to me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria is enough for every man who follows me to have a handful.”
11 And the king of Israel answered, and said, “Tell him, ‘Do not let him who girds his harness boast of himself just as he who takes it off.’”
12 And when he heard that news, as he was with the kings drinking in the pavilions, he said to the servants, “Make ready.” And they set themselves against the city.
13 And behold, there came a Prophet to Ahab, king of Israel, saying, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Have you seen all this great multitude? Behold, I will deliver it into your hand this day, so that you may know that I am the LORD.’”
14 And Ahab said, “By whom?” And he said, “Thus says the LORD: ‘By the servants of the princes of the provinces.’” He said again, “Who shall order the battle?” And he answered, “You.”
15 Then he mustered the servants of the princes of the provinces. And there were two hundred thirty-two. And after them, he mustered the whole people of all the children of Israel: seven thousand.
16 And they went out at noon. But Ben-Hadad drank in the tents, until he was drunk, he and the kings. Thirty-two kings helped him.
17 So, the servants of the princes of the provinces went out first. And Ben-Hadad sent out. And they told him, saying, “There are men who came out of Samaria.”
18 And he said, “If they have come out for peace, take them alive. Or if they have come out to fight, still take them alive.”
19 So they came out of the city, the servants of the princes of the provinces, and the army which followed them.
20 And each one killed his enemy. And the Aramites fled. And Israel pursued them. But Ben-Hadad, the king of Aram, escaped on a horse, with horsemen.
21 And the king of Israel went out and struck the horses and chariots and killed the Aramites with a great slaughter.
22 (For there had come a Prophet to the king of Israel, and had said to him, “Go. Be of good courage. And consider and take heed to what you do. For when the year has gone around, the king of Aram will come up against you.”)
23 Then the servants of the king of Aram said to him, “Their gods are gods of the mountains, and therefore they overcame us. But let us fight against them on the plain, and doubtless we shall overcome them.
24 “And do this: take the kings away, each one out of his place, and place captains for them.
25 “And muster an army for yourself, like the army that you have lost, with the same horses and the same chariots, and we will fight against them on the plain. And doubtless we shall overcome them.” And he listened to their voice and did so.
26 And after the year had gone around, Ben-Hadad mustered the Aramites, and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel.
27 And the children of Israel were mustered and were all assembled and went against them. And the children of Israel camped before them, like two little flocks of kids. But the Aramites filled the country.
28 And a man of God came and spoke to the king of Israel, saying, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Because the Aramites have said, “The LORD is the God of the mountains, and not God of the valleys,” I will therefore deliver all this great multitude into your hand. And you shall know that I am the LORD.’”
29 And they camped opposite each other for seven days. And on the seventh day, the battle was joined. And the children of Israel killed a hundred thousand Aramite footmen in one day.
30 But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city. And a wall fell upon twenty-seven thousand men who were left. And Ben-Hadad fled into the city and came into a secret chamber.
31 And his servants said to him, “Behold, now, we have heard say that the kings of the House of Israel are merciful kings. Please, let us put sackcloth around our loins, and ropes around our heads, and go out to the king of Israel. It may be that he will spare your life.”
32 Then they girded sackcloth around their loins, and ropes around their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said, “Your servant Ben-Hadad says, ‘Please let me live.’” And he said, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.”
33 Now the men took diligent care, for they were anxious to perceive something more, and said, “Your brother, Ben-Hadad!” And he said, “Go. Bring him.” So, Ben-Hadad came out to him. And he had him brought up into the chariot.
34 And Ben-Hadad said to him, “The cities which my father took from your father, I will restore. And you shall make streets for yourself in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.” Then Ahab said, “I will let you go with this covenant.” So, he made a covenant with him and let him go.
35 Then, a certain man of the children of the Prophets said to his neighbor by the Commandment of the LORD, “Strike me, please!” But the man refused to strike him.
36 Then he said to him, “Because you have not obeyed the Voice of the LORD, behold, as soon as you have departed from me, a lion shall kill you.” So, after he had departed from him, a lion found him and killed him.
37 Then he found another man, and said, “Strike me, please!” And the man struck him. And in smiting, wounded him.
38 So, the Prophet departed and waited for the king by the road and disguised himself with ashes upon his face.
39 And when the king came by, he cried to the king, and said, “Your servant went into the midst of the battle, and behold, there went away a man whom another man brought to me, and said, ‘Guard this man. If he is lost for any reason, your life shall go for his life, or else you shall pay a talent of silver.’
40 “And as your servant was busy here and there, he was gone.” And the king of Israel said to him, “So shall your judgment be. You have given sentence.”
41 And he hurried and took the ashes away from his face. And the king of Israel knew him, that he was of the Prophets.
42 And he said to him, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Because you have let go out of your hands a man whom I appointed to die, your life shall go for his life, and your people for his people.”
43 And the king of Israel went to his house, heavy and in displeasure, and came to Samaria.
3 Therefore, since we could endure it no longer, we thought it good to remain at Athens alone;
2 and have sent Timothy, our brother and minister of God and our fellow laborer in the Gospel of Christ, to establish you and to comfort you regarding your faith;
3 so that no one would be disturbed by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are appointed to this.
4 For truly we told you before (when we were with you) that we would suffer tribulations even as it happened. And you know it.
5 For this reason, when I could no longer bear it, I sent him. So that I might know of your faith, lest the tempter had tempted you in any way and that our labor had been in vain.
6 But now, lately, when Timothy came from you to us and brought us good tidings of your faith and love (and that you have good remembrance of us always, desiring to see us, as we also you),
7 therefore brothers, in all our affliction and necessity, we were encouraged by you through your faith.
8 For now if you stand fast in the Lord, we are alive!
9 For what thanks can we render to God for you - for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sakes before our God,
10 night and day, praying exceedingly – so that we might see your face and accomplish that which is lacking in your faith?
11 Now may God himself - even our Father - and our Lord Jesus Christ, guide our journey to you.
12 And the Lord increase you and make you abound in love toward one another, and toward all, even as we do toward you;
13 to make your hearts stable and unblameable in holiness before God, and our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.
2 And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams which troubled his spirit, and broke his sleep.
2 Then the king commanded to call the enchanters, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans to interpret the king’s dreams. So they came and stood before the king.
3 And the king said to them, “I have dreamed a dream. And my spirit was troubled to know the dream.”
4 Then spoke the Chaldeans to the king in the Aramite’s language, “O king, live forever. Show your servants your dream, and we shall show the interpretation.”
5 And the king answered and said to the Chaldeans, “The thing is spoken. If you will not make me understand the dream, with the interpretation thereof, you shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made an ash heap.
6 “But, if you declare the dream and the interpretation thereof, you shall receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. Therefore, show me the dream and the interpretation of it.”
7 They answered again, and said, “Let the king show his servants the dream, and we will declare the interpretation thereof.”
8 Then the king answered, and said, “I know certainly that you would like more time, because you see the thing is spoken.
9 “But if you will not declare to me the dream, there is but one judgment for you. For you have prepared lying and corrupt words, to speak before me till the time changes. Therefore, tell me the dream, that I may know if you can declare to me the interpretation thereof.”
10 Then the Chaldeans answered the king, and said, “There is no man upon earth who can declare the king’s matter. Yea, there is neither king nor prince nor lord who asked such things of an enchanter, or astrologer, or Chaldean.
11 For it is a rare thing that the king requires, and there is no other who can declare it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.”
12 For this reason, the king was angry and in a great fury, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babel.
13 And when sentence was given, the wise men were killed. And they sought Daniel and his friends, to be put to death.
14 Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch, the king’s chief steward, who had gone forth to put to death the wise men of Babel.
15 “Yea,” he answered and said to Arioch, the king’s captain, “Why is the sentence so severe from the king?” Then Arioch explained it to Daniel.
16 So Daniel went and asked the king if he would give him time to show the king the interpretation thereof.
17 Then Daniel went to his house and shared the matter with Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions,
18 in order that they should ask the God of heaven for grace in this secret, so that Daniel and his friends should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babel.
19 Then was the secret revealed to Daniel in a vision by night. Therefore, Daniel praised the God of heaven.
20 And Daniel answered and said, “The Name of God be praised forever and ever. For wisdom and strength are his.
21 “And he changes the times and seasons. He takes away kings. He sets up kings. He gives wisdom to the wise, and understanding to those who understand.
22 “He reveals the deep and secret things. He knows what is in darkness, and the light dwells with him.
23 “I thank you and praise you, O God of my fathers, that you have given me wisdom and strength, and have shown me now the thing that we desired of you. For you have declared to us the king’s matter.”
24 Therefore, Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had ordained to destroy the wise men of Babel. He went and said to him, “Do not destroy the wise men of Babel. But bring me before the king, and I will declare to the king the interpretation.”
25 Then Arioch quickly brought Daniel before the king, and said, “I have found a man of the children of Judah, who were brought as captives, and who will declare to the king the interpretation.”
26 Then answered the king, and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Are you able to show me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof?”
27 Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, “The secret which the king has demanded, can neither the wise, nor the astrologers, nor the enchanters, nor the soothsayers declare to the king.
28 But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and shows the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Your dream, and the things which you have seen in your head upon your bed, is this:
29 “O king, when you were in your bed, thoughts came into your mind, showing what should come to pass hereafter. And he who reveals secrets, tells you what shall come.
30 “As for me, this secret is not shown to me because I have more wisdom than any other living, but only to show the king the interpretation, that you might know the thoughts of your heart.
31 “O king, you saw, and behold, there was a great image. This great image, whose glory was so excellent, stood before you. And the form, therefore, was terrible.
32 “This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,
33 “His legs of iron. And his feet were part iron and part clay.
34 “You beheld it till a stone was cut without hands, which struck the image upon his feet, made of iron and clay, and broke them to pieces.
35 “Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver and the gold broken all together. And they became like the chaff of the summer flowers. And the wind carried them away, so that no place was found for them. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
36 “This is the dream, and we will declare before the king the interpretation thereof.
37 “O king, you are a king of kings. For the God of heaven has given you a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.
38 “And in all places where the children of men dwell, he has given into your hand the beasts of the field and the birds of the heaven, and has made you ruler over them all. You are the head of gold.
39 “And after you shall rise another kingdom, inferior to you, of silver. And another, third kingdom shall be of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.
40 “And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron. For as iron breaks in pieces, and subdues all things, and as iron bruises all these things, so shall it break in pieces, and bruise all.
41 “Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay, and partly of iron: the kingdom shall be divided. But there shall be in it the strength of the iron, as you saw the iron mixed with the clay and earth.
42 “And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron, and partly of clay, so shall the kingdom be partly strong and partly broken.
43 “And just as you saw iron mixed with clay and earth, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men. But they shall not join one with another, as iron cannot be mixed with clay.
44 “And in the days of these kings, the God of heaven shall set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed. And this kingdom shall not be given to another people. But it shall break and destroy all these kingdoms. And it shall stand forever.
45 “Just as you saw that the stone was cut from the mountain without hands. And that it broke in pieces the iron, and the brass, and the clay, and the silver, and the gold. So the great God has shown the king what shall come to pass hereafter. And the dream is true. And the interpretation thereof is sure.”
46 Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and bowed himself to Daniel, and commanded that they should offer meat offerings and sweet odors to him.
47 Also, the king answered Daniel, and said, “I know truly that your God is a God of gods; and the Lord of kings; and the revealer of secrets; because I see you can open this secret.”
48 So the king made Daniel a great man; and gave him many and great gifts. He made him governor over the whole province of Babel, and chief of the rulers; and above all the wise men of Babel.
49 Then Daniel made a request of the king, that he may set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in charge of the province of Babel, while Daniel remained in the gate of the king.
106 Praise the LORD because He is good; for His mercy endures forever!
2 Who can express the noble acts of the LORD, or proclaim all His praise?
3 Blessed are those who guard justice and do righteousness at all times.
4 Remember me, O LORD, with the favor of Your people. Visit me with Your salvation,
5 so that I may see the good things of Your chosen and rejoice in the joy of Your people, and glory with Your inheritance.
6 We have sinned with our Fathers. We have committed iniquity and done wickedly.
7 Our Fathers did not understand Your wonders in Egypt, nor did they remember the multitude of Your mercies; but they rebelled at the sea, even at the Red Sea.
8 Nevertheless, He saved them for His Name’s sake, so that He might make His power known.
9 And He rebuked the Red Sea, and it was dried up; and He led them through the deep, as through the wilderness.
10 And He saved them from the adversary’s hand and delivered them from the hand of the enemy.
11 And the waters covered their oppressors. Not one of them was left.
12 Then they believed His words and sang praise to Him.
13 But they soon forgot His works. They did not wait for His counsel,
14 but lusted exceedingly in the wilderness and tempted God in the desert.
15 Then He gave them their desire. But He sent leanness into their soul.
16 They also envied Moses in the tents, and Aaron, the saint of the LORD.
17 The Earth opened and swallowed up Dathan and covered the company of Abiram.
18 And the fire was kindled in their assembly; the flame burnt up the wicked.
19 They made a calf in Horeb and worshipped the molten image.
20 Thus, they turned their glory into the likeness of a bullock that eats grass.
21 They forgot God their Savior, Who had done great things in Egypt,
22 wondrous works in the land of Ham, and fearful things by the Red Sea.
23 Therefore, He intended to destroy them had not Moses, His chosen, stood in the breach before Him, to turn away His wrath lest He should destroy them.
24 Also, they despised that pleasant land and did not believe His word,
25 but murmured in their tents and did not listen to the voice of the LORD.
26 Therefore, He lifted up His hand against them to destroy them in the wilderness,
27 and to destroy their seed among the nations, and to scatter them throughout the countries.
28 They also joined themselves to Baal of Peor and ate the offerings of the dead.
29 Thus, they provoked Him to anger with their own inventions; and the plague broke in upon them.
30 But, Phinehas stood up and executed judgment, and the plague was stopped.
31 And it was counted to him for righteousness, from generation to generation, forever.
32 They also angered Him at the waters of Meribah, so that Moses was punished for their sakes
33 (because they troubled his spirit, so that he spoke unadvisedly with his lips).
34 Nor did they destroy the people, as the LORD had commanded them,
35 but mingled among the heathen and learned their works
36 and served their idols, which was their ruin.
37 Indeed, they offered their sons and their daughters to demons,
38 and shed innocent blood—the blood of their sons and of their daughters whom they offered to the idols of Canaan—and the land was defiled with blood.
39 Thus, they were stained with their own works and went a-whoring with their own inventions.
40 Therefore, the wrath of the LORD was kindled against His people; and He abhorred His own inheritance.
41 And He gave them into the hand of the heathen; and those who hated them were lords over them.
42 Also, their enemies oppressed them; and they were humbled under their hand.
43 Many a time did He deliver them, but they provoked Him by their counsel. Therefore, they were brought down by their iniquity.
44 Yet, He saw when they were in affliction and He heard their cry.
45 And He remembered His Covenant toward them and repented, according to the multitude of His mercies,
46 and gave them favor in the sight of all those who had carried them away captive.
47 Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the heathen, so that we may praise Your Holy Name and glory in Your praise.
48 Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, forever and ever; and let all the people say, “So be it! Praise the LORD!”
© 2019, 2024 by Five Talents Audio. All rights reserved.