M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
David Becomes King of Judah
2 After this, David asked Yahweh, “Should I go to one of the cities of Judah?”
“Go,” Yahweh answered him.
“Where should I go?” David asked.
“To Hebron,” Yahweh replied.
2 David went there with his two wives, Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail (who had been Nabal’s wife) from Carmel. 3 David took his men and their families with him, and they settled in the towns around Hebron. 4 Then the people of Judah came to Hebron and anointed David to be king over the tribe of Judah.
They told David, “The people of Jabesh Gilead were the ones who buried Saul.” 5 So David sent messengers to the people of Jabesh Gilead. He said to them, “May Yahweh bless you because you showed kindness to your master Saul by burying him. 6 May Yahweh always show you kindness. I, too, will be good to you because you did this. 7 Now, be strong and courageous. Because your master Saul is dead, the tribe of Judah has anointed me to be their king.”
Abner Makes Ishbosheth King of Israel
8 Ner’s son Abner, commander of Saul’s army, took Saul’s son Ishbosheth[a] and brought him to Mahanaim. 9 Abner made him king of Gilead, Asher,[b] Jezreel, Ephraim, and Benjamin, that is, all Israel. 10 Saul’s son Ishbosheth was 40 years old when he became king of Israel. He ruled for two years, but the tribe of Judah followed David. 11 In Hebron David was king over the tribe of Judah for seven years and six months.
Conflicts between Abner and Joab
12 Ner’s son Abner and the officers of Saul’s son Ishbosheth went from Mahanaim to Gibeon. 13 Zeruiah’s son Joab and David’s officers also left Hebron. Both groups met at the pool of Gibeon. They sat down there, one group on one side of the pool and the other group on the other side of the pool.
14 Abner said to Joab, “Let’s have the young men hold a contest.” Joab agreed.
15 The men got up and were counted as they passed by. Twelve were from the tribe of Benjamin (representing Saul’s son Ishbosheth), and twelve were from David’s officers. 16 Each one grabbed his opponent by the head, stuck his sword into his opponent’s side, and they fell down together. Therefore, that place in Gibeon is called the Field of Enemies. 17 Fierce fighting broke out that day, and David’s men defeated Abner and the men of Israel.
18 Zeruiah’s three sons were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Asahel was as fast on his feet as a wild gazelle. 19 He chased Abner and refused to leave him alone. 20 When Abner looked back, he asked, “Are you Asahel?”
“Yes,” Asahel answered.
21 Abner told him, “Leave me alone! Catch one of the young men, and take his weapon.”[c]
But Asahel refused to turn away from him. 22 So Abner spoke again to Asahel. “Stop following me,” he said. “Why should I kill you? How could I look your brother Joab in the face again?”
23 But Asahel refused to turn away. So Abner struck him with the butt of the spear. The spear went into his belly and came out his back. He fell down there and died on the spot. And everyone who came to the place where Asahel fell and died stopped there.
24 But Joab and Abishai chased Abner. When the sun went down, they came to the hill of Ammah, opposite Giah on the road from Gibeon to the desert. 25 The men of Benjamin rallied behind Abner, banding together and taking their position on top of a hill.
26 Then Abner called to Joab, “Should this slaughter go on forever? Don’t you know this will end in bitterness? How long will it be before you will call off your troops from chasing their relatives?”
27 Joab answered, “I solemnly swear, as Elohim lives, if you had not spoken, the men would not have stopped chasing their relatives until morning.” 28 So Joab blew a ram’s horn, and all the troops stopped. They didn’t chase or fight Israel anymore.
29 Abner and his men marched through the plains all that night. They crossed the Jordan River and passed through the entire Bithron until they came to Mahanaim.
30 Joab returned from chasing Abner. When he had gathered all the troops, only 19 of David’s officers and Asahel were missing. 31 However, David’s officers had killed 360 of the men of Benjamin under Abner’s command. 32 They took Asahel and buried him in his father’s tomb in Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men marched all night and arrived at Hebron by daybreak.
Love
13 I may speak in the languages of humans and of angels. But if I don’t have love, I am a loud gong or a clashing cymbal. 2 I may have the gift to speak what God has revealed, and I may understand all mysteries and have all knowledge. I may even have enough faith to move mountains. But if I don’t have love, I am nothing. 3 I may even give away all that I have and give up my body to be burned.[a] But if I don’t have love, none of these things will help me.
4 Love is patient. Love is kind. Love isn’t jealous. It doesn’t sing its own praises. It isn’t arrogant. 5 It isn’t rude. It doesn’t think about itself. It isn’t irritable. It doesn’t keep track of wrongs. 6 It isn’t happy when injustice is done, but it is happy with the truth. 7 Love never stops being patient, never stops believing, never stops hoping, never gives up.
8 Love never comes to an end. There is the gift of speaking what God has revealed, but it will no longer be used. There is the gift of speaking in other languages, but it will stop by itself. There is the gift of knowledge, but it will no longer be used. 9 Our knowledge is incomplete and our ability to speak what God has revealed is incomplete. 10 But when what is complete comes, then what is incomplete will no longer be used. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, thought like a child, and reasoned like a child. When I became an adult, I no longer used childish ways. 12 Now we see a blurred image in a mirror. Then we will see very clearly. Now my knowledge is incomplete. Then I will have complete knowledge as God has complete knowledge of me.
13 So these three things remain: faith, hope, and love. But the best one of these is love.
Judgment on the Rulers of Israel
11 Then the Ruach lifted me and took me to the east gate of Yahweh’s temple. (It’s the gate that faces east.) Twenty-five men were at the entrance of the gate. I saw among them Azzur’s son Jaazaniah and Benaiah’s son Pelatiah. They were leaders of the people.
2 Then Yahweh said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who plan evil and give bad advice in this city. 3 They say, ‘It’s almost time to rebuild homes. This city is a cooking pot, and we’re the meat.’ 4 So prophesy against them. Prophesy, son of man.”
5 The Ruach Yahweh came to me and told me to say, “This is what Yahweh says: You are saying these things, nation of Israel. But I know what’s going through your mind. 6 You have killed many people in this city and have filled its streets with corpses.
7 “So this is what Adonay Yahweh says: The corpses that you put in the middle of the city are the meat, and the city is the cooking pot. I will force you out of the city. 8 You are afraid of swords, so I will bring swords to attack you, declares Adonay Yahweh. 9 I will force you out of the city. I will hand you over to foreigners, and I will punish you. 10 You will die in battle. I will judge you at Israel’s borders. Then you will know that I am Yahweh. 11 The city will not be your cooking pot, and you will not be the meat in it. I will judge you at Israel’s borders. 12 Then you will know that I am Yahweh. You haven’t lived by my laws, and you haven’t obeyed my rules. You have followed the standards set by the nations around you.”
13 While I was prophesying, Benaiah’s son Pelatiah died.
I immediately bowed down and cried out, “Adonay Yahweh, will you completely destroy all the remaining people in Israel?”
The Lord’s Promise to Gather Israel from the Nations
14 Then Yahweh spoke his word to me. He said, 15 “Son of man, the people who live in Jerusalem are talking about your own relatives and about the entire nation of Israel. The people who live in Jerusalem say, ‘They are far away from Yahweh. This land has been given to us as our own property.’
16 “So tell them, ‘This is what Adonay Yahweh says: Although I sent them far away among the nations and scattered them among the countries, I have been their sanctuary for a little while among the countries where they’ve gone.’
17 “So tell them, ‘This is what Adonay Yahweh says: I will bring them together from the nations and gather them from the countries where I’ve scattered them. I will give them the land of Israel. 18 They will come and remove all the disgusting and detestable things that are there. 19 I will give them a single purpose and put a new spirit in them. I will remove their stubborn hearts and give them obedient hearts. 20 Then they will live by my laws and obey my rules. They will be my people, and I will be their Elohim. 21 But as for those whose minds are set on following detestable and disgusting idols, I will pay them back for what they have done, declares Adonay Yahweh.’”
The Glory of the Lord Leaves Jerusalem
22 Then the angels[a] raised their wings, with the wheels beside them. The glory of the Elohim of Israel was above them. 23 Yahweh’s glory left the middle of the city and stopped above the mountain east of the city.
24 In this vision from the Ruach Elohim, the Ruach lifted me and brought me to the exiles in Babylonia. Then the vision I saw left me.
25 I told the exiles everything Yahweh had shown me.
Psalm 50
A psalm by Asaph.
1 Yahweh, the only true El, has spoken.
He has summoned the earth
from where the sun rises to where it sets.
2 Elohim shines from Zion,
the perfection of beauty.
3 Our Elohim will come and will not remain silent.
A devouring fire is in front of him
and a raging storm around him.
4 He summons heaven and earth to judge his people:
5 “Gather around me, my godly people
who have made a pledge to me through sacrifices.”
6 The heavens announce his righteousness
because Elohim is the Shophet. Selah
7 “Listen, my people, and I will speak.
Listen, Israel, and I will testify against you:
I am Elohim, your Elohim!
8 I am not criticizing you for your sacrifices or burnt offerings,
which are always in front of me.
9 But I will not accept another young bull from your household
or a single male goat from your pens.
10 Every creature in the forest,
even the cattle on a thousand hills, is mine.
11 I know every bird in the mountains.
Everything that moves in the fields is mine.
12 If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
because the world and all that it contains are mine.
13 Do I eat the meat of bulls or drink the blood of goats?
14 Bring your thanks to Elohim as a sacrifice,
and keep your vows to Elyon.
15 Call on me in times of trouble.
I will rescue you, and you will honor me.”
16 But Elohim says to wicked people,
“How dare you quote my decrees
and mouth my promises![a]
17 You hate discipline.
You toss my words behind you.
18 When you see a thief, you want to make friends with him.
You keep company with people who commit adultery.
19 You let your mouth say anything evil.
Your tongue plans deceit.
20 You sit and talk against your own brother.
You slander your own mother’s son.
21 When you did these things, I remained silent.
That made you think I was like you.
I will argue my point with you
and lay it all out for you to see.
22 Consider this, you people who forget Eloah.
Otherwise, I will tear you to pieces,
and there will be no one left to rescue you.
23 Whoever offers thanks as a sacrifice honors me.
I will let everyone who continues in my way
see the salvation that comes from Elohim.”
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.