M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Absalom Returns to Jerusalem
14 Joab, Zeruiah’s son, knew the king was still thinking about Absalom. 2 So Joab sent someone to Tekoa to get a clever woman from there. He told her, “Please act like a mourner, and dress in mourning clothes. Don’t rub olive oil on yourself,[a] but act like a woman who has been mourning for the dead for a long time. 3 Go to the king, and tell him this. . . .” Then Joab told her exactly what to say.
4 The woman from Tekoa came[b] to the king and immediately bowed down with her face touching the ground. “Help me, Your Majesty,” she said.
5 The king asked her, “What can I do for you?”
She answered, “I’m a widow; my husband is dead. 6 I had two sons who quarreled in the field, and there was no one to separate them. One killed the other. 7 Then the entire family turned against me. They said, ‘Give us the man who killed his brother so that we can kill him because he took his brother’s life. We’re going to destroy the one who now would be the heir.’ In this way they wish to extinguish the one burning coal that is left for me. They will not let my husband’s name or descendants remain on the face of the earth.”
8 “Go home,” the king told the woman. “I will order someone to take care of this matter.”
9 The woman from Tekoa said to the king, “Let me be held responsible for the sin, Your Majesty. Let my father’s family be held responsible. Your Majesty and your throne are innocent.”
10 The king said, “If anyone says anything against you, bring him to me. He’ll never harm you again.”
11 She said, “Your Majesty, please pray to Yahweh your Elohim in order to keep an avenger from doing more harm by destroying my son.”
“I solemnly swear, as Yahweh lives,” he said, “not a hair on your son’s head will fall to the ground.”
12 The woman said, “Please let me say something else to you.”
“Speak,” he said.
13 “Why have you devised something like this against Elohim’s people?” she said. “When you say this, you condemn yourself because you haven’t brought back the one you banished! 14 We are all going to die; we are all like water that is poured on the ground and can’t be gathered up. But doesn’t Elohim forgive a person? He never plans to keep a banished person in exile.
15 “I’ve come to say this to you because the people have frightened me. So I thought, ‘I will speak to the king about this. Maybe the king will do something for me, his subject. 16 Maybe the king will listen and rescue me, his subject, from the man who wants to cut off both me and my son from our Elohim-given inheritance.’ 17 I thought that you would reassure me. You are like Elohim’s Messenger, who is able to distinguish right from wrong. May Yahweh your Elohim be with you!”
18 The king said to the woman, “Please don’t refuse to answer the question I’m going to ask you.”
The woman responded, “Please speak, Your Majesty.”
19 “Did Joab put you up to this?” the king asked.
The woman answered, “I solemnly swear on your life, Your Majesty, you are absolutely right. Yes, your servant Joab ordered me to do this. He told me to say exactly what I said. 20 Your servant Joab has done this to portray the matter in a different light. You are as wise as Elohim’s Messenger, who knows everything on earth.”
21 Then the king told Joab, “This is what you’ll do. Bring back the young man Absalom.”
22 Joab quickly bowed down with his face touching the ground, and he blessed the king. He said, “Today I know that you have been kind to me because you have done what I wanted.”
23 So Joab went to Geshur and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem. 24 But the king said, “Absalom should return to his own house. He will not see me.” So Absalom returned to his house and didn’t see the king.
25 Now, no one in all Israel was praised for his good looks as much as Absalom was. He had no blemish from head to toe. 26 At the end of every year, he used to cut his hair because it became heavy for him. When he cut the hair on his head and weighed it, it weighed five pounds according to the royal standard. 27 Absalom had three sons and one daughter. His daughter Tamar was a beautiful woman.
28 Absalom stayed in Jerusalem two full years without seeing the king. 29 So Absalom sent for Joab in order to send him to the king, but Joab refused to come. Absalom sent for him a second time, but he still refused to come. 30 So Absalom said to his servants, “Look, Joab’s field is next to mine. He has barley in it. Go and set it on fire.” So Absalom’s servants set it on fire.
Joab’s servants came to him in grief and said, “Absalom’s servants have set your field on fire.”[c]
31 Then Joab immediately went to Absalom at his home. “Why did your servants set my field on fire?” he asked.
32 Absalom answered Joab, “I sent someone to tell you to come here because I wanted to send you to the king to ask him why I had to come from Geshur. It would be better for me if I were still there. Let me see the king now! If I’m guilty of a sin, he should kill me.”
33 Joab went to the king and told him this. The king then called for Absalom, who came to the king and bowed down with his face touching the ground. And the king kissed Absalom.
7 Since we have these promises, dear friends, we need to cleanse ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit and live a holy life in the fear of God.
Paul Was Comforted by What the Corinthians Did
2 Open your hearts to us. We haven’t treated anyone unjustly, ruined anyone, or cheated anyone. 3 I’m not saying this to condemn you. I’ve already told you that you are in our hearts so that we will live and die together. 4 I have great confidence in you, and I have a lot of reasons to be proud of you. Even as we suffer, I’m encouraged and feel very happy.
5 Ever since we arrived in the province of Macedonia, we’ve had no rest. Instead, we suffer in a number of ways. Outwardly we have conflicts, and inwardly we have fears. 6 Yet God, who comforts those who are dejected, comforted us when Titus arrived. 7 We were comforted not only by his arrival but also by learning about the comfort he had received while he was with you. He told us how you wanted to see me, how sorry you are for what you’ve done, and how concerned you are about me. This made me even happier.
8 If my letter made you uncomfortable, I’m not sorry. But since my letter did make you uncomfortable for a while, I was sorry. 9 But I’m happy now, not because I made you uncomfortable, but because the distress I caused you has led you to change the way you think and act. You were distressed in a godly way, so we haven’t done you any harm. 10 In fact, to be distressed in a godly way causes people to change the way they think and act and leads them to be saved. No one can regret that. But the distress that the world causes brings only death.
11 When you became distressed in a godly way, look at how much devotion it caused you to have. You were ready to clear yourselves of the charges against you. You were disgusted with the wrong that had been done. You were afraid. You wanted to see us. You wanted to show your concern for us. You were ready to punish the wrong that had been done. In every way you have demonstrated that you are people who are innocent in this matter. 12 So, when I wrote to you, I didn’t write because of the man who did the wrong or the man who was hurt by it. Rather, I wrote because I wanted you to show your devotion to us in God’s sight. 13 This is what has comforted us.
In addition to being comforted, we were especially pleased to see how happy Titus was. All of you had put his mind at ease. 14 I didn’t have to be ashamed of anything I had said to him when I bragged about you. Since everything we told you was true, our bragging to Titus has also proved to be true. 15 His deepest feelings go out to you even more as he remembers how obedient all of you were, and how you welcomed him with fear and trembling. 16 I’m pleased that I can be confident about you in every way.
The Sword of the Lord
21 [a]Yahweh spoke his word to me. He said, 2 “Son of man, turn to Jerusalem, preach against the holy places. Prophesy against the land of Israel. 3 Tell the land of Israel, ‘This is what Yahweh says: I am against you. I will take my sword out of its scabbard and kill the righteous people and the wicked people among you. 4 I’m going to kill the righteous people and the wicked people among you. That is why my sword will come out of its scabbard to be used against everyone from the south to the north. 5 Then everyone will know that I, Yahweh, have taken my sword from its scabbard, and I will not put it back again.’
6 “So, son of man, groan with a breaking heart and with bitter crying while the people watch you. 7 When they ask you why you are groaning, say, ‘News has come that will discourage everyone. People’s hands will hang limp, their hearts will lose courage, and their knees will become as weak as water. It’s coming! It will surely take place!’ declares Adonay Yahweh.”
8 Yahweh spoke his word to me. He said, 9 “Son of man, prophesy. Tell them, ‘This is what Adonay says:
A sword, a sword is sharpened and polished,
10 It’s sharpened to kill
and polished to flash like lightning.
How can we rejoice?
My son has refused to be disciplined or punished.[b]
11 The sword has been handed over to be polished,
to be placed in the hand.
The sword is being sharpened and polished
to be placed in the hands of killers.
12 “‘Cry and mourn, son of man,
because the sword will be used against my people
and against all the princes of Israel.
I will throw the princes and my people on the sword.
So beat your breast, and grieve.
13 Testing will surely come.
What if you refuse to be disciplined again?
Won’t you be tested? declares Adonay Yahweh.
14 So prophesy, son of man.
Clap your hands!
Let the sword strike again and again.
It’s the sword for killing.
It’s the sword for killing many people.
It’s the sword that surrounds them.
15 I have appointed my sword to slaughter people at all their gates
so that their hearts will sink and many will die.
Yes! It’s ready to flash like lightning.
It’s polished to kill.
16 Sword, cut to the right.
Cut to the left
or wherever your blade is turned.
17 I will also clap my hands and rest from my fury.
I, Yahweh, have spoken.’”
The Sword of the King of Babylon
18 Yahweh spoke his word to me. He said, 19 “Son of man, mark two roads that the king of Babylon and his sword can take. Both of these roads should start from the same country. Make a sign, and put it where the roads start to fork toward the cities. 20 Mark the road that the king and his sword can take to the Ammonite city of Rabbah, and mark the road that leads to Judah and the fortified city of Jerusalem. 21 The king of Babylon will stop where the roads branch off, where there is a fork in the road. Then he will look for omens. He will shake some arrows, ask his household gods for help, and examine animal livers. 22 The omens will indicate that he should go to the right, to Jerusalem. So he will set up his battering rams there, give the order to kill, raise a battle cry, aim the battering rams against the city gates, put up ramps, and set up blockades. 23 The people won’t believe this because they have made treaties with other nations. But the king of Babylon will remind them of their sins, and they will be captured.
24 “This is what Adonay Yahweh says: You make people remember how sinful you are because you openly do wrong. You show your sins in everything you do. So you will be taken captive.
25 “You dishonest and wicked prince of Israel, the time for your final punishment has come. 26 This is what Adonay Yahweh says: Take off your turban, and get rid of your crown. Things are going to change. Those who are unimportant will become important, and those who are important will become unimportant. 27 Ruins! Ruins! I will turn this place into ruins! It will not be restored until its rightful owner comes. Then I will give it to him.
28 “Son of man, prophesy. Tell them, ‘This is what Adonay Yahweh says about the Ammonites and their insults:
A sword, a sword is drawn ready to kill.
It’s polished to destroy and flash like lightning.
29 People see false visions about you
and prophesy lies about you.
The sword will be placed on the necks of dishonest, wicked people,
for whom the time of final punishment has come.
30 “‘Return your sword to its scabbard.
In the place where you were created,
in the land where you were born,
there I will judge you.
31 I will pour out my fury on you
and breathe on you with my fiery anger.
I will hand you over to cruel people who are skilled in destruction.
32 You will be fuel for the fire.
You will die in the land.
You will no longer be remembered.
I, Yahweh, have spoken.’”
Psalm 68
For the choir director; a psalm by David; a song.
1 Elohim will arise.
His enemies will be scattered.
Those who hate him will flee from him.
2 Blow them away like smoke.
Let wicked people melt in Elohim’s presence like wax next to a fire.
3 But let righteous people rejoice.
Let them celebrate in Elohim’s presence.
Let them overflow with joy.
4 Sing to Elohim; make music to praise his name.
Make a highway for him to ride through the deserts.[a]
Yah is his name.
Celebrate in his presence.
5 The Elohim who is in his holy dwelling place
is the Ab of the fatherless and the defender of widows.
6 Elohim places lonely people in families.
He leads prisoners out of prison into productive lives,
but rebellious people must live in an unproductive land.
7 O Elohim, when you went in front of your people,
when you marched through the desert, Selah
8 the earth quaked and the sky poured
in the presence of the Elohim of Sinai,
in the presence of the Elohim of Israel.
9 You watered the land with plenty of rain, O Elohim.
You refreshed it when your land was exhausted.
10 Your flock settled there.
Out of your goodness, O Elohim,
you provided for oppressed people.
11 Adonay gives instructions.
The women who announce the good news are a large army.
12 They say, “The kings of the armies flee; they run away.
The women who remained at home will divide the goods.
13 Though you stayed among the sheep pens,
you will be like the wings of a dove covered with silver,
its feathers with yellow gold.
14 Meanwhile, Shadday was still scattering kings there
like snow falling on Mount Zalmon.”
15 The mountain of Bashan is the mountain of Elohim.
The mountain of Bashan is the mountain with many peaks.
16 Why do you look with envy, you mountains with many peaks,
at the mountain where Elohim has chosen to live?
Certainly, Yahweh will live there forever.
17 The chariots of Elohim are twenty thousand in number,
thousands upon thousands.
Adonay is among them.
The God of Sinai is in his holy place.
18 You went to the highest place.
You took prisoners captive.
You received gifts from people,
even from rebellious people, so that Yah Elohim may live there.
19 Thanks be to Adonay,
who daily carries our burdens for us.
El is our salvation. Selah
20 Our El is the El of victories.
Yahweh Adonay is our escape from death.
21 Certainly, Elohim will crush the heads of his enemies
and destroy even the hair on the heads
of those who continue to be guilty.
22 Adonay said, “I will bring them back from Bashan.
I will bring them back from the depths of the sea
23 so that you, my people, may bathe[b] your feet in blood
and the tongues of your dogs
may lick the blood of your enemies.”
24 Your festival processions, O Elohim, can be seen by everyone.
They are the processions for my Elohim, my Melek, into the holy place.
25 The singers are in front.
The musicians are behind them.
The young women beating tambourines are between them.
26 Thank Elohim, Yahweh, the source of Israel, with the choirs.
27 Benjamin, the youngest, is leading them,
next the leaders of Judah with their noisy crowds,
then the leaders of Zebulun,
then the leaders of Naphtali.
28 Your Elohim has decided you will be strong.
Display your strength, O Elohim,
as you have for us before.
29 Kings will bring you gifts
because of your temple high above Jerusalem.
30 Threaten the beast who is among the cattails,
the herd of bulls with the calves of the nations,
until it humbles itself with pieces of silver.
Scatter the people who find joy in war.[c]
31 Ambassadors will come from Egypt.
Sudan will stretch out its hands to Elohim in prayer.
32 You kingdoms of the world, sing to Elohim.
Make music to praise Adonay. Selah
33 Elohim rides through the ancient heaven, the highest heaven.
Listen! He makes his voice heard, his powerful voice.
34 Acknowledge the power of Elohim.
His majesty is over Israel, and his power is in the skies.
35 Elohim, the El of Israel, is awe-inspiring in his holy place.
He gives strength and power to his people.
Thanks be to Elohim!
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.