M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
16 When David had gone over the top of the Mount of Olives, Ziba, Mephibosheth’s servant, met him with a pair of saddled donkeys. They were loaded with 200 loaves of bread, 100 bunches of raisins, 100 pieces of ripened fruit, and a full wineskin.
2 “Why did you bring these?” David asked Ziba.
“The donkeys are for the king’s family to ride on,” Ziba answered. “The bread and the ripe fruit are for your servants to eat. The wine is for those who become tired and thirsty in the desert.”
3 “Where is your master Saul’s grandson?” the king asked.
“He’s staying in Jerusalem,” Ziba answered the king. “He said, ‘Today the house of Israel will give me back my grandfather’s kingdom.’”
4 The king told Ziba, “In that case everything that belonged to Mephibosheth now belongs to you.”
“I sincerely thank you,” said Ziba. “I hope to remain in your good graces, Your Majesty.”
5 When King David came to Bahurim, a man who was a distant cousin of Saul came out cursing. His name was Shimei, son of Gera. 6 He threw stones at David and David’s servants, although all the people and all the warriors were shielding David. 7 Shimei cursed and said, “Get out! Get out, you bloodthirsty man! You worthless person! 8 Yahweh is paying you back for all the blood you spilled in the family of Saul, whom you succeeded as king. Yahweh is giving the kingship to your son Absalom. Now you’re in trouble because you’re a bloodthirsty man.”
9 Abishai, Zeruiah’s son, asked the king, “Why should this dead dog curse you, Your Majesty? Let me go over there and tear off his head.”
10 But the king said, “You don’t think like me at all, sons of Zeruiah. Let him curse. If Yahweh has told him, ‘Curse David,’ should anyone ask, ‘Why do you do that?’” 11 David told Abishai and all his servants, “My own son, my own flesh and blood, is trying to kill me. Why, then, shouldn’t this Benjaminite do this? Leave him alone. Let him curse, since Yahweh has told him to do it. 12 Maybe Yahweh will see my misery and turn his curse into a blessing for me today.”
13 As David and his men went along the road, Shimei was walking along the hillside parallel to him. Shimei cursed, hurled stones, and threw dirt at David. 14 The king and all the people with him finally arrived at their destination and rested there.
Absalom Enters Jerusalem
15 Meanwhile, Absalom and all Israel’s troops came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel was with him. 16 When David’s friend Hushai from Archi’s family came to Absalom, he said, “Long live the king! Long live the king!”
17 “Is that how loyal you are to your friend?” Absalom asked Hushai. “Why didn’t you go with him?”
18 Hushai answered Absalom, “No, I want to be with the one whom Yahweh, these people, and all Israel have chosen. I will be his friend and stay with him. 19 And besides, whom should I serve? Shouldn’t it be his son? As I served your father, so I’ll serve you.”
20 Then Absalom asked Ahithophel, “What’s your advice? What should we do?”
21 Ahithophel told Absalom, “Sleep with your father’s concubines[a] whom he left to take care of the palace. Then all Israel will hear about how you have made your father despise you. Everyone who is with you will support you even more.”
22 So a tent was put up on the roof for Absalom, and he slept with his father’s concubines in plain sight of Israel.
23 In those days both David and Absalom thought that Ahithophel’s advice was like getting an answer from Elohim.
The Reason to Give to the Christians in Jerusalem
9 I don’t need to write anything further to you about helping the Christians in Jerusalem. 2 I know how willing you are to help, and I brag about you to the believers in the province of Macedonia. I tell them, “The people of Greece have been ready to send their collection since last year,” and your enthusiasm has moved most of them to act. 3 I’ve sent my coworkers so that when we brag that you’re ready, we can back it up. 4 Otherwise, if any Macedonians come with me, they might find out that you’re not ready after all. This would embarrass us for feeling so confident as much as it would embarrass you. 5 So I thought that I should encourage our coworkers to visit you before I do and make arrangements for this gift that you had already promised to give. Then it will be the blessing it was intended to be, and it won’t be something you’re forced to do.
6 Remember this: The farmer who plants a few seeds will have a very small harvest. But the farmer who plants because he has received God’s blessings will receive a harvest of God’s blessings in return. 7 Each of you should give whatever you have decided. You shouldn’t be sorry that you gave or feel forced to give, since God loves a cheerful giver. 8 Besides, God will give you his constantly overflowing kindness.[a] Then, when you always have everything you need, you can do more and more good things. 9 Scripture says,
“The righteous person gives freely to the poor.
His righteousness continues forever.”
10 God gives seed to the farmer and food to those who need to eat. God will also give you seed and multiply it. In your lives he will increase the things you do that have his approval. 11 God will make you rich enough so that you can always be generous. Your generosity will produce thanksgiving to God because of us. 12 What you do to serve others not only provides for the needs of God’s people, but also produces more and more prayers of thanksgiving to God. 13 You will honor God through this genuine act of service because of your commitment to spread the Good News of Christ and because of your generosity in sharing with them and everyone else. 14 With deep affection they will pray for you because of the extreme kindness that God has shown you. 15 I thank God for his gift that words cannot describe.
Samaria and Jerusalem Acted Like Prostitutes
23 Yahweh spoke his word to me. He said, 2 “Son of man, there were once two women, daughters of the same mother. 3 They became prostitutes in Egypt when they were young. There men fondled and caressed their breasts.
4 “The older girl was named Oholah, and the younger girl was named Oholibah. I married them, and they gave birth to sons and daughters. Oholah represents Samaria, and Oholibah represents Jerusalem. 5 Oholah acted like a prostitute, although she was my wife. She lusted after her Assyrian lovers who lived nearby. 6 They were governors and commanders clothed in purple. They were all handsome young men who rode on horses. 7 She became a prostitute for all the important men in Assyria. She dishonored herself with the idols of all those with whom she fell in love. 8 She continued the prostitution that she started in Egypt. When she was young, men went to bed with her, caressed her breasts, and treated her like a prostitute.
9 “That is why I handed her over to her lovers, to the Assyrians whom she lusted after. 10 They stripped her naked, took away her sons and daughters, and killed her with a sword. Women gossiped about how she was punished.
11 “Even though her younger sister Oholibah saw this, Oholibah lusted after men more than her sister did. Oholibah’s prostitution became worse than her sister’s prostitution. 12 She lusted after the Assyrians who were nearby. They were governors and commanders in full dress. They were mounted horsemen, all of them desirable young men. 13 I saw that she was dishonoring herself. Both sisters acted the same way. 14 Yet, she carried her prostitution even further. She saw pictures of men carved on walls. They were figures of Babylonian men, painted in bright red. 15 The men had belts around their waists and flowing turbans on their heads. All of them looked like Babylonian officers who were born in Babylon. 16 She fell in love with them at first sight and sent messengers to them in Babylonia. 17 So these men came from Babylon, went to bed with her, and dishonored her with their lust. After they had dishonored her, she turned away from them in disgust.
18 “She carried out her prostitution openly, and she lay around naked. I turned away from her in disgust as I had turned away from her sister. 19 She remembered how she had been a prostitute in Egypt when she was young. So she took part in even more prostitution. 20 She lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose semen was like that of horses. 21 So she longed to do the sinful things she did when she was young in Egypt, when young men caressed and fondled her breasts.
22 “Oholibah, this is what Adonay Yahweh says: I’m going to stir up your lovers against you. They are the lovers you turned away from in disgust. I will bring them against you from every side. 23 I will bring men from Babylon and from all Babylonia, men from Pekod, Shoa, and Koa, as well as all the Assyrians. They are desirable young men, governors and commanders, military officers and important men. All of them ride on horses. 24 They will attack you from the north,[a] with chariots and wagons and with a large number of troops. They will attack you from all around with small and large shields and with helmets. I have handed you over to them for punishment. They will punish you with their own kind of punishment. 25 I will direct my burning anger against you so that they will deal with you in anger. They will cut off your nose and ears and kill everyone who remains. They will take your sons and your daughters and burn down whatever is left. 26 They will rip off your clothes and take away your beautiful jewels. 27 I will put a stop to your sinning and to your prostitution, which you began in Egypt. You won’t desire these things anymore or remember Egypt anymore.
28 “This is what Adonay Yahweh says: I’m going to hand you over to those you hate and to those you turned away from in disgust. 29 They will treat you hatefully and take away everything that you have worked for. They will leave you naked and bare. The shame of your prostitution will be revealed. 30 Your sinning and your prostitution have done this to you, because you lusted after the nations and dishonored yourself with their idols. 31 You’ve acted the same way as your sister. That is why I will put her cup in your hand. 32 This is what Adonay Yahweh says:
You will drink from your sister’s cup,
a cup that is deep and wide.
You will be scorned and mocked,
because this cup holds so much.
33 The cup of your sister Samaria will be filled
with drunkenness and sorrow.
34 You will drink from it and drain it.
You will break it into pieces
and tear your breasts off your body.
I have spoken, declares Adonay Yahweh.
35 “This is what Adonay Yahweh says: You have forgotten me and turned your back on me. So you will be punished for your sinning and prostitution.”
36 Yahweh said to me, “Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah and tell them about their disgusting practices? 37 They have committed adultery. Their hands are covered with blood. They commit adultery with their idols. They have sacrificed the children they gave birth to for me as burnt offerings to idols. 38 They have also done this to me: They have polluted my holy places when they do these things and dishonored the days to worship me. 39 When they sacrificed their children to their idols, they came into my holy place and dishonored it. That is what they’ve done in my temple.
40 “They even sent messengers to invite men to come from far away. When the men arrived, they washed themselves for the men, painted their eyes, and put on their jewels. 41 They sat on their fine couches with tables in front of them. They put my incense and my olive oil on their tables.
42 “I heard the noise from a carefree crowd. A large number of people came from the desert, and they put bracelets on the women’s wrists and beautiful crowns on their heads. 43 Then I said, ‘She is worn out from her acts of adultery.’ Yet, men continued to have sex with her. 44 Men slept with her. They slept with those sinful women, Oholah and Oholibah just as they slept with a prostitute. 45 Righteous people will punish these women for adultery and for murder, because these women have committed adultery and their hands are covered with blood.
46 “This is what Adonay Yahweh says: Bring together a mob against the people of Samaria and Jerusalem. Hand them over to terror and looting. 47 Then the mob will stone them and kill them with swords. The mob will kill their sons and daughters and burn their homes. 48 So I will put a stop to the sinning in the land, and all the women will be warned not to sin as they do. 49 They will be punished for their sins, and they will pay for their sin of idolatry. Then they will know that I am Adonay Yahweh.”
Psalm 70[a]
For the choir director; by David; to be kept in mind.
1 Come quickly to rescue me, O Elohim!
Come quickly to help me, O Yahweh!
2 Let those who seek my life
be confused and put to shame.
Let those who want my downfall
be turned back and disgraced.
3 Let those who say, “Aha! Aha!”
be turned back because of their own shame.
4 Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad because of you.
Let those who love your salvation continually say,
“Elohim is great!”
5 But I am oppressed and needy.
O Elohim, come to me quickly.
You are my help and my savior.
O Yahweh, do not delay!
Psalm 71
1 I have taken refuge in you, O Yahweh.
Never let me be put to shame.
2 Rescue me and free me because of your righteousness.
Turn your ear toward me, and save me.
3 Be a rock on which I may live,
a Maon where I may always go.
You gave the order to save me!
Indeed, you are my rock and my Metsuda.
4 My Elohim, free me from the hands of a wicked person,
from the grasp of one who is cruel and unjust.
5 You are my hope, O Adonay Yahweh.
You have been my confidence ever since I was young.
6 I depended on you before I was born.
You took me from my mother’s womb.
My songs of praise constantly speak about you.
7 I have become an example to many people,
but you are my strong Machseh.
8 My mouth is filled with your praise,
with your glory all day long.
9 Do not reject me when I am old
or abandon me when I lose my strength.
10 My enemies talk about me.
They watch me as they plot to take my life.
11 They say, “Elohim has abandoned him.
Pursue him and grab him because there is no one to rescue him.”
12 O Elohim, do not be so distant from me.
O my Elohim, come quickly to help me.
13 Let those who accuse me come to a shameful end.
Let those who want my downfall be covered
with disgrace and humiliation.
14 But I will always have hope.
I will praise you more and more.
15 My mouth will tell about your righteousness,
about your salvation all day long.
Even then, it is more than I can understand.
16 I will come with the mighty deeds of Adonay Yahweh.
I will praise your righteousness, yours alone.
17 O Elohim, you have taught me ever since I was young,
and I still talk about the miracles you have done.
18 Even when I am old and gray, do not abandon me, O Elohim.
Let me live to tell the people of this age
what your strength has accomplished,
to tell about your power to all who will come.
19 Your righteousness reaches to the heavens, O Elohim.
You have done great things.
O Elohim, who is like you?
20 You have made me endure many terrible troubles.
You restore me to life again.
You bring me back from the depths of the earth.
21 You comfort me and make me greater than ever.
22 Because of your faithfulness, O my Elohim,
even I will give thanks to you as I play on a lyre.
I will make music with a harp to praise you, O Qedosh Yisrael.
23 My lips will sing with joy when I make music to praise you.
My soul, which you have rescued, also will sing joyfully.
24 My tongue will tell about your righteousness all day long,
because those who wanted my downfall
have been disgraced and put to shame.
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.