M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
David Wins Many Wars
8 Later, David defeated the Philistines, conquered them, and took the city of Metheg Ammah.
2 He also defeated the people of Moab. He made them lie on the ground, and then he used a rope to measure them. Those who were measured within two rope lengths were killed, but those who were within the next rope length were allowed to live. So the people of Moab became servants of David and gave him the payment he demanded.
3 David also defeated Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to take control again at the Euphrates River. 4 David captured one thousand chariots, seven thousand men who rode in chariots, and twenty thousand foot soldiers. He crippled all but a hundred of the chariot horses.
5 Arameans from Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, but David killed twenty-two thousand of them. 6 Then David put groups of soldiers in Damascus in Aram. The Arameans became David’s servants and gave him the payment he demanded. The Lord gave David victory everywhere he went.
7 David took the shields of gold that had belonged to Hadadezer’s officers and brought them to Jerusalem. 8 David also took many things made of bronze from Tebah and Berothai, which had been cities under Hadadezer’s control.
9 Toi king of Hamath heard that David had defeated all the army of Hadadezer. 10 So Toi sent his son Joram to greet and congratulate King David for defeating Hadadezer. (Hadadezer had been at war with Toi.) Joram brought items made of silver, gold, and bronze. 11 King David gave them to the Lord, along with the silver and gold he had taken from the other nations he had defeated. 12 These nations were Edom, Moab, Ammon, Philistia, and Amalek. David also gave the Lord what he had taken from Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah.
13 David was famous after he returned from defeating eighteen thousand Arameans in the Valley of Salt. 14 He put groups of soldiers all over Edom, and all the Edomites became his servants. The Lord gave David victory everywhere he went.
15 David was king over all Israel, and he did what was fair and right for all his people. 16 Joab son of Zeruiah was commander over the army. Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder. 17 Zadok son of Ahitub and Abiathar son of Ahimelech were priests. Seraiah was the royal secretary. 18 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and Pelethites.[a] And David’s sons were priests.
David Helps Saul’s Family
9 David asked, “Is anyone still left in Saul’s family? I want to show kindness to that person for Jonathan’s sake!”
2 Now there was a servant named Ziba from Saul’s family. So David’s servants called Ziba to him. King David said to him, “Are you Ziba?”
He answered, “Yes, I am your servant.”
3 The king asked, “Is anyone left in Saul’s family? I want to show God’s kindness to that person.”
Ziba answered the king, “Jonathan has a son still living who is crippled in both feet.”
4 The king asked Ziba, “Where is this son?”
Ziba answered, “He is at the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.”
5 Then King David had servants bring Jonathan’s son from the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar. 6 Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son, came before David and bowed facedown on the floor.
David said, “Mephibosheth!”
Mephibosheth said, “I am your servant.”
7 David said to him, “Don’t be afraid. I will be kind to you for your father Jonathan’s sake. I will give you back all the land of your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.”
8 Mephibosheth bowed to David again and said, “You are being very kind to me, your servant! And I am no better than a dead dog!”
9 Then King David called Saul’s servant Ziba. David said to him, “I have given your master’s grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family. 10 You, your sons, and your servants will farm the land and harvest the crops. Then your family will have food to eat. But Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, will always eat at my table.”
(Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.) 11 Ziba said to King David, “I, your servant, will do everything my master, the king, commands me.”
So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table as if he were one of the king’s sons. 12 Mephibosheth had a young son named Mica. Everyone in Ziba’s family became Mephibosheth’s servants. 13 Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table. And he was crippled in both feet.
2 So I decided that my next visit to you would not be another one to make you sad. 2 If I make you sad, who will make me glad? Only you can make me glad—particularly the person whom I made sad. 3 I wrote you a letter for this reason: that when I came to you I would not be made sad by the people who should make me happy. I felt sure of all of you, that you would share my joy. 4 When I wrote to you before, I was very troubled and unhappy in my heart, and I wrote with many tears. I did not write to make you sad, but to let you know how much I love you.
Forgive the Sinner
5 Someone there among you has caused sadness, not to me, but to all of you. I mean he caused sadness to all in some way. (I do not want to make it sound worse than it really is.) 6 The punishment that most of you gave him is enough for him. 7 But now you should forgive him and comfort him to keep him from having too much sadness and giving up completely. 8 So I beg you to show that you love him. 9 I wrote you to test you and to see if you obey in everything. 10 If you forgive someone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven—if I had anything to forgive—I forgave it for you, as if Christ were with me. 11 I did this so that Satan would not win anything from us, because we know very well what Satan’s plans are.
Paul’s Concern in Troas
12 When I came to Troas to preach the Good News of Christ, the Lord gave me a good opportunity there. 13 But I had no peace, because I did not find my brother Titus. So I said good-bye to them at Troas and went to Macedonia.
Victory Through Christ
14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s victory parade. God uses us to spread his knowledge everywhere like a sweet-smelling perfume. 15 Our offering to God is this: We are the sweet smell of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are being lost. 16 To those who are lost, we are the smell of death that brings death, but to those who are being saved, we are the smell of life that brings life. So who is able to do this work? 17 We do not sell the word of God for a profit as many other people do. But in Christ we speak the truth before God, as messengers of God.
The Lord’s Kindness to Jerusalem
16 The Lord spoke his word to me, saying: 2 “Human, tell Jerusalem about her hateful actions. 3 Say, ‘This is what the Lord God says to Jerusalem: Your beginnings and your ancestors were in the land of the Canaanites. Your father was an Amorite, and your mother was a Hittite. 4 On the day you were born, your cord[a] was not cut. You were not washed with water to clean you. You were not rubbed with salt or wrapped in cloths. 5 No one felt sorry enough for you to do any of these things for you. No, you were thrown out into the open field, because you were hated on the day you were born.
6 “‘When I passed by and saw you kicking about in your blood, I said to you, “Live!” 7 I made you grow like a plant in the field. You grew up and became tall and became like a beautiful jewel. Your breasts formed, and your hair grew, but you were naked and without clothes.
8 “‘Later when I passed by you and looked at you, I saw that you were old enough for love. So I spread my robe over you and covered your nakedness. I also made a promise to you and entered into an agreement with you so that you became mine, says the Lord God.
9 “‘Then I bathed you with water, washed all the blood off of you, and put oil on you. 10 I put beautiful clothes made with needlework on you and put sandals of fine leather on your feet. I wrapped you in fine linen and covered you with silk. 11 I put jewelry on you: bracelets on your arms, a necklace around your neck, 12 a ring in your nose, earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head. 13 So you wore gold and silver. Your clothes were made of fine linen, silk, and beautiful needlework. You ate fine flour, honey, and olive oil. You were very beautiful and became a queen. 14 Then you became famous among the nations, because you were so beautiful. Your beauty was perfect, because of the glory I gave you, says the Lord God.
Jerusalem Becomes a Prostitute
15 “‘But you trusted in your beauty. You became a prostitute, because you were so famous. You had sexual relations with anyone who passed by. 16 You took some of your clothes and made your places of worship colorful. There you carried on your prostitution. These things should not happen; they should never occur. 17 You also took your beautiful jewelry, made from my gold and silver I had given you, and you made for yourselves male idols so you could be a prostitute with them. 18 Then you took your clothes with beautiful needlework and covered the idols. You gave my oil and incense as an offering to them. 19 Also, you took the bread I gave you, the fine flour, oil, and honey I gave you to eat, and you offered them before the gods as a pleasing smell. This is what happened, says the Lord God.
20 “‘But your sexual sins were not enough for you. You also took your sons and daughters who were my children, and you sacrificed them to the idols as food. 21 You killed my children and offered them up in fire to the idols. 22 While you did all your hateful acts and sexual sins, you did not remember when you were young, when you were naked and had no clothes and were left in your blood.
23 “‘How terrible! How terrible it will be for you, says the Lord God. After you did all these evil things, 24 you built yourself a place to worship gods. You made for yourself a place of worship in every city square. 25 You built a place of worship at the beginning of every street. You made your beauty hateful, offering your body for sex to anyone who passed by, so your sexual sins became worse and worse. 26 You also had sexual relations with the Egyptians, who were your neighbors and partners in sexual sin. Your sexual sins became even worse, and they caused me to be angry. 27 So then, I used my power against you and took away some of your land. I let you be defeated by those who hate you, the Philistine women, who were ashamed of your evil ways. 28 Also, you had sexual relations with the Assyrians, because you could not be satisfied. Even though you had sexual relations with them, you still were not satisfied. 29 You did many more sexual sins in Babylonia, the land of traders, but even this did not satisfy you.
30 “‘Truly your will is weak, says the Lord God. You do all the things a stubborn prostitute does. 31 You built your place to worship gods at the beginning of every street, and you made places of worship in every city square. But you were not like a prostitute when you refused to accept payment.
32 “‘You are a wife who is guilty of adultery. You desire strangers instead of your husband. 33 Men pay prostitutes, but you pay all your lovers to come to you. And they come from all around for sexual relations. 34 So you are different from other prostitutes. No man asks you to be a prostitute, and you pay money instead of having money paid to you. Yes, you are different.
The Prostitute Is Judged
35 “‘So, prostitute, hear the word of the Lord. 36 This is what the Lord God says: You showed your nakedness to other countries. You uncovered your body in your sexual sins with them as your lovers and with all your hateful idols. You killed your children and offered their blood to your idols. 37 So I will gather all your lovers with whom you found pleasure. Yes, I will gather all those you loved and those you hated. I will gather them against you from all around, and I will strip you naked in front of them so they can see your nakedness. 38 I will punish you as women guilty of adultery or as murderers are punished. I will put you to death because I am angry and jealous. 39 I will also hand you over to your lovers. They will tear down your places of worship and destroy other places where you worship gods. They will tear off your clothes and take away your jewelry, leaving you naked and bare. 40 They will bring a crowd against you to throw stones at you and to cut you into pieces with their swords. 41 They will burn down your houses and will punish you in front of many women. I will put an end to your sexual sins, and you will no longer pay your lovers. 42 Then I will rest from my anger against you, and I will stop being jealous. I will be quiet and not angry anymore.
43 “‘Because you didn’t remember when you were young, but have made me angry in all these ways, I will repay you for what you have done, says the Lord God. Didn’t you add sexual sins to all your other acts which I hate?
44 “‘Everyone who uses wise sayings will say this about you: “The daughter is like her mother.” 45 You are like your mother, who hated her husband and children. You are also like your sisters, who hated their husbands and children. Your mother was a Hittite, and your father was an Amorite. 46 Your older sister is Samaria, who lived north of you with her daughters; your younger sister is Sodom, who lived south of you with her daughters. 47 You not only followed their ways and did the hateful things they did, but you were soon worse than they were in all your ways. 48 As surely as I live, says the Lord God, this is true. Your sister Sodom and her daughters never did what you and your daughters have done.
49 “‘This was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were proud and had plenty of food and lived in great comfort, but she did not help the poor and needy. 50 So Sodom and her daughters were proud and did things I hate in front of me. So I got rid of them when I saw what they did. 51 Also, Samaria did not do half the sins you do; you have done more hateful things than they did. So you make your sisters look good because of all the hateful things you have done. 52 You will suffer disgrace, because you have provided an excuse for your sisters. They are better than you are. Your sins were even more terrible than theirs. Feel ashamed and suffer disgrace, because you made your sisters look good.
53 “‘But I will give back to Sodom and her daughters the good things they once had. I will give back to Samaria and her daughters the good things they once had. And with them I will also give back the good things you once had 54 so you may suffer disgrace and feel ashamed for all the things you have done. You even gave comfort to your sisters in their sins. 55 Your sisters, Sodom with her daughters and Samaria with her daughters, will return to what they were before. You and your daughters will also return to what you were before. 56 You humiliated your sister Sodom when you were proud, 57 before your evil was uncovered. And now the Edomite women and their neighbors humiliate you. Even the Philistine women humiliate you. Those around you hate you. 58 This is your punishment for your terrible sins and for actions that I hate, says the Lord.
God Keeps His Promises
59 “‘This is what the Lord God says: I will do to you what you have done. You hated and broke the agreement you promised to keep. 60 But I will remember my agreement I made with you when you were young, and I will make an agreement that will continue forever with you. 61 Then you will remember what you have done and feel ashamed when you receive your sisters—both your older and your younger sisters. I will give them to you like daughters, but not because they share in my agreement with you. 62 I will set up my agreement with you, and you will know that I am the Lord. 63 You will remember what you did and feel ashamed. You will not open your mouth again because of your shame, when I forgive you for all the things you have done, says the Lord God.’”
Unfair Judges
For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A miktam of David.
58 Do you rulers really say what is right?
Do you judge people fairly?
2 No, in your heart you plan evil;
you think up violent crimes in the land.
3 From birth, evil people turn away from God;
they wander off and tell lies as soon as they are born.
4 They are like poisonous snakes,
like deaf cobras that stop up their ears
5 so they cannot hear the music of the snake charmer
no matter how well he plays.
6 God, break the teeth in their mouths!
Tear out the fangs of those lions, Lord!
7 Let them disappear like water that flows away.
Let them be cut short like a broken arrow.
8 Let them be like snails that melt as they move.
Let them be like a child born dead who never saw the sun.
9 His anger will blow them away alive
faster than burning thorns can heat a pot.
10 Good people will be glad when they see him get even.
They will wash their feet in the blood of the wicked.
11 Then people will say,
“There really are rewards for doing what is right.
There really is a God who judges the world.”
A Prayer for Protection
For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A miktam of David when Saul sent men to watch David’s house to kill him.
59 God, save me from my enemies.
Protect me from those who come against me.
2 Save me from those who do evil
and from murderers.
3 Look, they are waiting to ambush me.
Cruel people attack me,
but I have not sinned or done wrong, Lord.
4 I have done nothing wrong, but they are ready to attack me.
Wake up to help me, and look.
5 You are the Lord God All-Powerful, the God of Israel.
Arise and punish those people.
Do not give those traitors any mercy. Selah
6 They come back at night.
Like dogs they growl and roam around the city.
7 Notice what comes from their mouths.
Insults come from their lips,
because they say, “Who’s listening?”
8 But, Lord, you laugh at them;
you make fun of all of them.
9 God, my strength, I am looking to you,
because God is my defender.
10 My God loves me, and he goes in front of me.
He will help me defeat my enemies.
11 Lord, our protector, do not kill them, or my people will forget.
With your power scatter them and defeat them.
12 They sin by what they say;
they sin with their words.
They curse and tell lies,
so let their pride trap them.
13 Destroy them in your anger;
destroy them completely!
Then they will know
that God rules over Israel
and to the ends of the earth. Selah
14 They come back at night.
Like dogs they growl
and roam around the city.
15 They wander about looking for food,
and they howl if they do not find enough.
16 But I will sing about your strength.
In the morning I will sing about your love.
You are my defender,
my place of safety in times of trouble.
17 God, my strength, I will sing praises to you.
God, my defender, you are the God who loves me.
The Holy Bible, New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.