M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
17 ¶ Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle and were gathered together at Shochoh, which belongs to Judah, and pitched camp between Shochoh and Azekah in Ephesdammim.
2 And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together and pitched camp by the valley of Elah and ordered the battle against the Philistines.
3 And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side; and there was a valley between them.
4 And a man named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span, came out of the camp of the Philistines and stood between the two camps.
5 And he had a helmet of brass upon his head, and he was clothed with a coat of mail of scales; and the weight of the coat of mail was five thousand shekels of brass.
6 And he had greaves of brass upon his legs and a shield of brass between his shoulders.
7 And the staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron, and one bearing a shield went before him.
8 And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? Am I not a Philistine, and ye slaves to Saul? Choose a man from among you, and let him come down to me.
9 If he is able to fight with me and to overcome me, then will we be your slaves, but if I prevail against him and overcome him, then ye shall be our slaves and serve us.
10 And the Philistine said, I have dishonoured the ranks of Israel today; give me a man that we may fight together.
11 When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.
12 ¶ And David was the son of an Ephrathite man of Bethlehem of Judah, whose name was Jesse, and he had eight sons, and this man was old in the days of Saul and of advanced age among men.
13 And the three eldest sons of Jesse had gone and followed Saul to the battle. And the names of his three sons that went to the battle were Eliab, the firstborn, and next unto him Abinadab and the third Shammah.
14 And David was the youngest, the three eldest having gone after Saul.
15 But David had gone and returned from being with Saul to feed his father’s sheep in Bethlehem.
16 And the Philistine drew near morning and evening and presented himself for forty days.
17 And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched grain and these ten loaves and run to the camp to thy brethren
18 and carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousand and look how thy brethren fare and take their pledge.
19 Now Saul and they and all the men of Israel were in the valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines.
20 And David rose up early in the morning and left the sheep with a keeper and took and went with his burden as Jesse had commanded him, and he came to the trench as the host was going forth in battle array, and they had already sounded the alarm for the battle.
21 For Israel and the Philistines had ordered the battle, army against army.
22 And David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage and ran into the army and came and asked about his brethren, if they were well.
23 And as he talked with them, behold, there came up that man, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, speaking the same words, and David heard them.
24 And all the men of Israel when they saw the man fled from him and feared greatly.
25 And each one of the men of Israel were saying, Have ye seen this man that is come up? He is come up to dishonour Israel. It shall be that the king will enrich the man who overcomes him with great riches and will give him his daughter and make his father’s house free in Israel.
26 Then David spoke to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that overcomes this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should dishonour the armies of the living God?
27 And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that overcomes him.
28 And Eliab, his eldest brother, heard when he spoke unto the men, and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why didst thou come down here? And with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride and the malice of thy heart, for thou art come down that thou might see the battle.
29 And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?
30 And he turned from him toward another and spoke after the same manner, and the people answered him again after the former manner.
31 ¶ And the words which David had spoken were heard, and they were rehearsed before Saul, and he sent for him.
32 And David said to Saul, Let no man’s heart fail because of him; thy slave will go and fight with this Philistine.
33 And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for thou art but a young man, and he a man of war from his youth.
34 And David replied unto Saul, Thy slave was the pastor of his father’s sheep, and if a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock,
35 I went out after him and smote him and delivered it out of his mouth; and if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and smote him and slew him.
36 Whether it was a lion or a bear thy slave would kill it, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he has dishonoured the armies of the living God.
37 David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.
38 And Saul clothed David with his clothing, and he put a helmet of brass upon his head; he also armed him with a coat of mail.
39 And David girded Saul’s sword upon Saul’s clothing, and he undertook to go, for he had not proved them. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these, for I have not proved them. And putting them off, David
40 ¶ took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones out of the brook and put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had, even in a provision bag, and with his sling in his hand he drew near to the Philistine.
41 And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David, and the man that bore the shield went before him.
42 And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he disdained him, for he was but a youth and ruddy and of a fair countenance.
43 And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
44 And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the heaven and to the beasts of the field.
45 Then David said to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword and with a spear and with a shield, but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of the hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast dishonoured.
46 This day the LORD will deliver thee into my hand, and I will smite thee and take thy head from thee, and I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the heaven and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
47 And all this congregation shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear, for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give you into our hands.
48 ¶ And it came to pass when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David that David hastened and ran to do battle against the Philistine.
49 And David put his hand in his bag and took a stone from there and slang it and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone remained sunk into his forehead, and he fell upon his face to the earth.
50 So David overcame the Philistine with a sling and with a stone and smote the Philistine and slew him, but there was no sword in the hand of David.
51 Therefore David ran and stood upon the Philistine and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and slew him and cut off his head with it. And when the Philistines saw their giant was dead, they fled.
52 And the men of Israel and of Judah arose and shouted and pursued the Philistines unto the valley and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even unto Gath and unto Ekron.
53 And the sons of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they spoiled their tents.
54 And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his weapons in his tent.
55 And when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said unto Abner, the captain of the host, Abner, whose son is this youth? And Abner said, As thy soul lives, O king, I cannot tell.
56 And the king said, Enquire whose son the young man is.
57 And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand.
58 And Saul said to him, Whose son art thou, young man? And David answered, I am the son of thy slave Jesse of Bethlehem.
15 ¶ We then that are stronger ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not please ourselves.
2 Let each one of us please his neighbour in that which is good, unto edification.
3 For the Christ did not please himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of those that reproached thee fell on me.
4 For the things that were written beforehand were written for our instruction that we, through patient endurance and through the comfort of the scriptures, might have hope.
5 ¶ Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be unanimous among yourselves according to Christ Jesus,
6 that ye may with one accord and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
7 ¶ Therefore bear one another, as the Christ also bore us, to the glory of God.
8 Now I say that Christ Jesus, was a minister of the circumcision, by the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers;
9 but that the Gentiles glorify God by mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess thee among the Gentiles and sing unto thy name.
10 And again he says, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people.
11 And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and magnify him, all the peoples.
12 And again, Isaiah says, There shall be a root of Jesse and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him the Gentiles shall wait for salvation.
13 ¶ And believing, the God of hope fills you with all joy and peace that ye may abound in hope by the virtue of the Holy Spirit.
14 ¶ But I am convinced regarding you, my brethren, that even without my exhortation ye are full of charity, full of all knowledge, so as to be able to admonish one another.
15 Nevertheless I have written, brethren, in part boldly, as admonishing you by the grace that is given to me of God,
16 being the minister of Jesus Christ, to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering of the Gentiles might be well pleasing, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
17 ¶ Therefore I have something to boast of in Christ Jesus, with regard to God.
18 For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not wrought by me, unto the obedience of the Gentiles, with word and with deed,
19 with power of signs and wonders, in virtue of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem and round about unto Illyricum, I have filled the entire area with the gospel of the Christ.
20 And in this manner I preached this gospel, not where Christ had been named previously, not to build upon a foundation belonging to another,
21 but, as it is written, To whom he was not spoken of, they shall see, and those that have not heard shall understand.
22 ¶ For which reason I have even been hindered many times from coming to you.
23 But now having more place in these parts and having a great desire these many years to come unto you,
24 when I leave for Spain, I will come unto you; for I trust to see you on my journey and to be taken there by you, if first I may enjoy your company.
25 But now I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints.
26 For it has pleased those of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints who are in Jerusalem.
27 It has pleased them verily, and they are their debtors. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, they should also minister unto them in carnal things.
28 So that, when I have concluded this and have delivered unto them this fruit, I will come by you unto Spain.
29 For I know that when I come to you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of the Christ.
30 ¶ But I beseech you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the charity of the Spirit, that ye help me with prayers to God for me,
31 that I may be delivered from the disobedient in Judaea and that the offering of my service to the saints in Jerusalem may be accepted,
32 that I may come unto you with joy by the will of God and may be refreshed together with you.
33 Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.
Aleph
2 ¶ How has the Lord darkened the daughter of Zion in his anger! He has cast down from heaven unto the earth the beauty of Israel and not remembered his footstool in the day of his anger!
Beth
2 The Lord has destroyed and has not forgiven; he has destroyed in his wrath all the habitations of Jacob; he has thrown down to the ground the strong holds of the daughter of Judah; he has polluted the kingdom and its princes.
Gimel
3 He has cut off in his fierce anger all the horn of Israel; he has caused his right hand to draw back in the presence of the enemy, and he burned in Jacob like a flaming fire, which devours round about.
Daleth
4 He has bent his bow like an enemy; he strengthened his right hand as an adversary and slew everything of beauty that could be seen in the tent of the daughter of Zion; he poured out his fury like fire.
He
5 The Lord was as an enemy, he has destroyed Israel; he has destroyed all her palaces; he has dissipated his strong holds and has multiplied in the daughter of Judah mourning and lamentation.
Vau
6 And he has violently taken away his tabernacle as if it were of a garden; he has destroyed his congregation; the LORD has caused the solemnities and sabbaths to be forgotten in Zion and has rejected in the indignation of his anger the king and the priest.
Zain
7 The Lord has cast off his altar; he has abhorred his sanctuary; he has given up into the hand of the enemy the walls of her palaces; they have shouted in the house of the LORD as in the day of a feast.
Cheth
8 The LORD has purposed to destroy the wall of the daughter of Zion; he has stretched out the line; he has not withdrawn his hand from destroying; therefore he made the rampart and the wall to lament; they were destroyed together.
Teth
9 Her gates were thrown to the ground; he has destroyed and broken her bars; her king and her princes are carried off among the Gentiles; there is no law; nor have her prophets found vision from the LORD.
Jod
10 ¶ The elders of the daughter of Zion sat upon the ground and are silent: they have cast up dust upon their heads; they have girded themselves with sackcloth; the daughters of Jerusalem hung their heads down to the ground.
Caph
11 My eyes fail with tears; my bowels are troubled; my liver is poured upon the earth, for the destruction of the daughter of my people because the children and the sucklings faint in the streets of the city.
Lamed
12 They said to their mothers, Where is the wheat and the wine? fainting as the dead in the streets of the city, pouring out their souls into their mothers’ bosom.
Mem
13 What witness shall I take to thee? Or unto whom shall I liken thee, O daughter of Jerusalem? Unto whom shall I compare thee, that I may comfort thee, O virgin daughter of Zion? for thy breach is as great as the sea: who shall heal thee?
Nun
14 Thy prophets have preached vanity and foolishness unto thee; and they have not uncovered thine iniquity to turn away thy captivity but have preached unto thee vain prophecies and digressions.
Samech
15 All that passed by clapped their hands over thee and whistled and wagged their heads over the daughter of Jerusalem, saying, Is this the city that men called The perfection of beauty, The joy of the whole earth?
Pe
16 All thine enemies opened their mouths regarding thee; they whistled and gnashed their teeth; they said, Swallow her up; certainly this is the day that we looked for; we have found it, we have seen it.
Ain
17 The LORD has done that which he had determined; he has fulfilled his word that he had commanded from the time of old; he has destroyed and has not forgiven; and he has caused thine enemy to rejoice over thee; he has raised up the horn of thine adversaries.
18 Tsade Their heart cried unto the Lord, O wall of the daughter of Zion; let tears run down like a river day and night; give thyself no rest; let not the apple of thine eye cease.
Koph
19 Arise, cry out in the night; in the beginning of the watches; pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord; lift up thy hands toward him for the life of thy young children that faint for hunger in the top of every street.
Resh
20 Look, O LORD, and consider unto whom thou hast shaken thus. Shall the women eat their fruit, the little ones that they are bringing up? shall the priest and the prophet be slain in the sanctuary of the Lord?
Schin
21 The young and the old lay on the ground in the streets; my virgins and my young men fell by the sword; thou hast slain them in the day of thine anger; thou hast killed and hast not forgiven.
Tau
22 Thou hast called as to a day of solemnity my terrors from everywhere, so that in the day of the LORD’s anger no one escaped nor remained: those that I have swaddled and brought up my enemy has consumed.
1 ¶ Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous, for to the upright praise is beautiful.
2 Celebrate unto the LORD with harp; sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings.
3 Sing unto him a new song; play unto excellence with joy.
4 For the word of the LORD is right, and all his works are done in truth.
5 He loves righteousness and judgment; the earth is full of the mercy of the LORD.
6 By the word of the LORD were the heavens made, and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.
7 He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; he lays up the deeps for treasures.
8 Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.
9 For he spoke, and it was done; he commanded, and it came into being.
10 The LORD brings the counsel of the Gentiles to nought; he makes the devices of the peoples of no effect.
11 The counsel of the LORD stands for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.
12 ¶ Blessed is the people whose God is the LORD; the people whom he has chosen for his own inheritance.
13 The LORD looked from heaven; he saw all the sons of Adam.
14 From the place of his habitation he looked upon all the inhabitants of the earth.
15 He fashioned all of their hearts; he considers all their works.
16 The king is not saved by the multitude of the army; the mighty man does not escape by much strength.
17 A horse is a vain thing for salvation; neither shall he deliver any by his great strength.
18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon those that fear him, upon those that wait for his mercy
19 to deliver their souls from death and to keep them alive in the famine.
20 Our soul waited for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.
21 Therefore our heart shall rejoice in him because we have trusted in the name of his holiness.
22 Let thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us, according as we have waited upon thee.
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