M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Absalom Plans to Take David’s Kingdom
15 After this, Absalom got a chariot and horses for himself. He got 50 men to run before him. 2 Absalom would get up early and stand near the city gate.[a] If anyone had a problem he wanted the king to settle, he would come here. When he came, Absalom would call to the man. Absalom would say, “What city are you from?”
The man would answer, “I’m from one of the tribes of Israel.”
3 Then Absalom would say to him, “Look, your claims are right. But the king has no one to listen to you.” 4 Absalom would also say, “I wish someone would make me judge in this land! Then I could help everyone who comes with a problem. I could help him get a fair decision for his problem!”
5 People would come near Absalom to bow to him. When they did, Absalom would reach out his hand and take hold of them. Then he would kiss them. 6 Absalom did that to all the Israelites who came to King David for decisions. In this way, Absalom won the hearts of all Israel.
7 After four years Absalom said to King David, “Please let me go to Hebron. I want to carry out my promise that I made to the Lord. 8 I made it while I was living in Geshur in Aram. I said, ‘If the Lord takes me back to Jerusalem, I will worship him in Hebron.’”
9 The king said, “Go in peace.”
So Absalom went to Hebron. 10 But he sent secret messengers through all the tribes of Israel. They told the people, “When you hear the trumpets, say this: ‘Absalom has become the king at Hebron!’”
11 Absalom had invited 200 men to go with him. So they went from Jerusalem with him. But they didn’t know what he was planning. 12 Ahithophel was one of the people who advised David. He was from the town of Giloh. While Absalom was offering sacrifices, he called Ahithophel to come from his hometown of Giloh. So Absalom’s plans were working very well. More and more people began to support him.
13 A man came in to tell the news to David. The man said, “The Israelites are beginning to follow Absalom.”
14 Then David spoke to all his officers who were with him in Jerusalem. He said, “We must leave quickly! If we don’t, we won’t be able to get away from Absalom. We must hurry before he catches us. He would destroy us and kill the people of Jerusalem.”
15 The king’s officers said to him, “We will do anything you say.”
16 The king set out with everyone in his house. But he left ten slave women to take care of the palace. 17 The king left with all his people following him. They stopped at the last house. 18 All the king’s servants passed by him. All the Kerethites and Pelethites, the king’s bodyguards, passed by him. All those from Gath, the 600 men who had followed him, passed by him.
19 The king spoke to Ittai, a man from Gath. He said, “Why are you also going with us? Turn back and stay with King Absalom. You are a foreigner. This is not your homeland. 20 Only a short time ago you came to join me. Today should I make you go with us to other places? I don’t even know where I’m going. Turn back, and take your brothers with you. May kindness and loyalty be shown to you.”
21 But Ittai said to the king, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will stay with you. I’ll be with you wherever you are. I’ll be with you whether it means life or death.”
22 David said to Ittai, “Go, march on.” So Ittai from Gath and all his people with their children marched on. 23 All the people cried loudly as everyone passed by. King David also crossed the Kidron Valley. Then all the people went on to the desert. 24 Zadok and all the Levites with him were carrying the Ark of the Covenant with God. They set down the Ark of the Covenant. And Abiathar offered sacrifices until all the people had left the city.
25 The king said to Zadok, “Take the Ark of the Covenant of God back into the city. If the Lord is pleased with me, he will bring me back. He will let me see both it and Jerusalem again. 26 But if the Lord says he is not pleased with me, I am ready. He can do what he wants with me.”
27 The king also said to Zadok the priest, “You are a seer. Go back to the city in peace. Take your son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan with you. 28 I will wait near the crossings into the desert until I hear from you.” 29 So Zadok and Abiathar took the Ark of the Covenant of God back to Jerusalem and stayed there.
30 David went up the Mount of Olives crying as he went. He covered his head and went barefoot. All the people with David covered their heads also. And they were crying as they went. 31 Someone told David, “Ahithophel is one of the people with Absalom who made secret plans against you.”
So David prayed, “Lord, please make Ahithophel’s advice foolish.”
32 David came to the top of the mountain. This was where he used to worship God. Hushai the Arkite came to meet him. Hushai’s coat was torn, and there was dirt on his head to show how sad he was. 33 David said to Hushai, “If you go with me, you will be just one more person to take care of. 34 But if you return to the city, you can make Ahithophel’s advice useless. Tell Absalom, ‘I am your servant, my king. In the past I served your father. But now I will serve you.’ 35 The priests Zadok and Abiathar will be with you. You must tell them everything you hear in the king’s palace. 36 Zadok’s son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan are with them. Send them to tell me everything you hear.” 37 So David’s friend Hushai entered Jerusalem. About that time, Absalom also arrived there.
Christian Giving
8 And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God gave the churches in Macedonia. 2 They have been tested by great troubles. And they are very poor. But they gave much because of their great joy. 3 I can tell you that they gave as much as they were able. They gave even more than they could afford. No one told them to do it. 4 But they asked us again and again—they begged us to let them share in this service for God’s people. 5 And they gave in a way that we did not expect: They first gave themselves to the Lord and to us. This is what God wants. 6 So we asked Titus to help you finish this special work of grace. He is the one who started this work. 7 You are rich in everything—in faith, in speaking, in knowledge, in truly wanting to help, and in the love you learned from us.[a] And so we want you to be rich also in this gift of giving.
8 I am not commanding you to give. But I want to see if your love is true love. I do this by showing you that others really want to help. 9 You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. You know that Christ was rich, but for you he became poor. Christ did this so that by his being poor you might become rich.
10 This is what I think you should do: Last year you were the first to want to give. And you were the first who gave. 11 So now finish the work that you started. Then your “doing” will be equal to your “wanting to do.” Give from what you have. 12 If you want to give, your gift will be accepted. Your gift will be judged by what you have, not by what you do not have. 13 We do not want you to have troubles while other people are at ease. We want everything to be equal. 14 At this time you have plenty. What you have can help others who are in need. Then later, when they have plenty, they can help you when you are in need. Then all will be equal. 15 As it is written in the Scriptures, “The person who gathered more did not have too much. The person who gathered less did not have too little.”[b]
Titus and His Companions
16 I thank God because he gave Titus the same love for you that I have. 17 Titus accepted what we asked him to do. He wanted very much to go to you. This was his own idea. 18 We are sending with him the brother who is praised by all the churches. This brother is praised because of his service in preaching the Good News. 19 Also, this brother was chosen by the churches to go with us when we deliver this gift of money. We are doing this service to bring glory to the Lord and to show that we really want to help.
20 We are being careful so that no one will criticize us about the way we are handling this large gift. 21 We are trying to do what is right. We want to do what the Lord accepts as right and also what people think is right.
22 Also, we are sending with them our brother who is always ready to help. He has proved this to us in many ways. And he wants to help even more now because he has much faith in you.
23 Now about Titus—he is my partner who is working with me to help you. And about the other brothers—they are sent from the churches, and they bring glory to Christ. 24 So show these men that you really have love. Show them why we are proud of you. Then all the churches can see it.
The Sins of Jerusalem
22 The Lord spoke his word to me. He said: 2 “And you, human being, will you judge? Will you judge the city of murderers? Then tell her about all her hated acts. 3 You will say: ‘This is what the Lord God says: You are a city that kills those who come to live there. You make yourself unclean by making idols. 4 You have become guilty of murder. And you have become unclean by your idols which you have made. So you have brought your time of punishment near. You have come to the end of your years. So I have made you a thing of shame to the nations. All lands will laugh at you. 5 Those near and those far away will laugh at you. You will have a bad name. You will be full of confusion.
6 “‘Jerusalem, see how each ruler of Israel in you has been trying to kill people. 7 The people in you hate their fathers and mothers. They mistreat the foreigners in you. They wrong the orphans and widows in you. 8 You hate my holy things. You dishonor my Sabbaths. 9 The men in you tell lies to cause the death of others. The people in you eat food offered to idols at the mountain places of worship. They do sexual sins in you. 10 The people in you sin sexually with their fathers’ wives. The men in you have physical relations with women who are unclean, during their time of monthly bleeding. 11 One person in you does a hated act with his neighbor’s wife. Another has shamefully violated his daughter-in-law. And another rapes his half sister. 12 The people in you take money to kill people. You take unfair interest and profits. You make profits by mistreating your neighbor. And you have forgotten me, says the Lord God.
13 “‘So with my fists I will hit you who have stolen money and you who have murdered people. 14 Will you still be brave and strong when I punish you? I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will act. 15 I will scatter you among the nations. I will spread you through the countries. I will get rid of your uncleanness. 16 But you, yourself, will be dishonored in the sight of the nations. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”
Israel Is Worthless
17 The Lord spoke his word to me. He said: 18 “Human being, the people of Israel have become useless like scum to me. They are like the copper, tin, iron and lead left in the furnace. These are left when silver is purified by melting. 19 So this is what the Lord God says: ‘You have become useless like scum. I am going to gather you into Jerusalem. 20 People gather silver, copper, iron, lead and tin into a furnace. Then they melt it in a blazing fire. In the same way I will gather you in my hot anger. I will put you in Jerusalem and melt you. 21 I will gather you. And I will make you feel the heat of my anger. You will be melted in the fire. 22 Silver is melted in the furnace. In the same way you will be melted in the city. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have poured out my anger against you.’”
Sins of the People
23 The Lord spoke his word to me. He said: 24 “Human being, say to the land, ‘You are a land that has not had rain or showers in a day of anger.’ 25 Israel’s rulers make evil plans. They are like a roaring lion that tears the animal it has caught. They have destroyed lives. They have taken treasure and valuable things. They have caused many women to become widows. 26 Israel’s priests do cruel things to my teachings. They do not honor my holy things. They make no difference between holy and unholy things. They teach there is no difference between clean and unclean things. They do not remember my Sabbaths. So I am dishonored by them. 27 Jerusalem’s leaders are like wolves tearing a dead animal. They have killed people for profit. 28 And the prophets try to cover this up by false visions and by lying. They say, ‘This is what the Lord God says’ when the Lord has not spoken. 29 The people cheat others. They steal. They hurt people who are poor and needy. They cheat foreigners and don’t treat them fairly.
30 “I looked for someone to build up the walls. I looked for someone to stand before me where the walls are broken to defend these people. Then I would not have to destroy them. But I did not find anyone. 31 So I will let them see my anger. I will destroy them with an anger that is like fire. This is because of all the things they have done, says the Lord God.”
A Cry for Help
For the director of music. To the tune of “Lilies.” A song of David.
69 God, save me.
The water has risen to my neck.
2 I’m sinking down into the mud.
There is nothing to stand on.
I am in deep water.
The flood covers me.
3 I am tired from calling for help.
My throat is sore.
My eyes are tired from waiting
for God to help me.
4 There are more people who hate me for no reason
than hairs on my head.
Those who want to destroy me are powerful.
My enemies are liars.
They make me pay back
what I did not steal.
5 God, you know what I have done wrong.
I cannot hide my guilt from you.
6 Master, the Lord of heaven’s armies,
do not let those who hope in you be ashamed because of me.
God of Israel,
do not let your worshipers
be disgraced because of me.
7 For you, I carry this shame.
My face is covered with disgrace.
8 I am like a stranger to my brothers.
I am like a foreigner to my mother’s sons.
9 My strong love for your Temple completely controls me.
When people insult you, it hurts me.
10 When I cry and go without food,
they make fun of me.
11 When I wear rough cloth to show my sadness,
they joke about me.
12 They make fun of me in public places.
The drunkards make up songs about me.
13 But I pray to you, Lord.
I pray that you will accept me.
God, because of your great love, answer me.
You are truly able to save.
14 Pull me from the mud.
Do not let me sink.
Save me from those who hate me
and from the deep water.
15 Do not let the flood drown me.
Do not let the deep water swallow me.
Do not let the grave close its mouth over me.
16 Lord, answer me because your love is so good.
Because of your great kindness, turn to me.
17 Do not hide from me, your servant.
I am in trouble. Hurry to help me!
18 Come near and save me.
Rescue me from my enemies.
19 You see my shame and disgrace.
You know all my enemies and what they have said.
20 Insults have broken my heart.
I am weak.
I looked for sympathy, but there was none.
I found no one to comfort me.
21 They put poison in my food.
They gave me vinegar to drink.
22 Let their own feasts cause their ruin.
Let their feasts trap them and pay them back.
23 Let their eyes be closed so they cannot see.
Let their backs be forever weak from troubles.
24 Pour your anger out on them.
Show them how angry you are.
25 May their place be empty.
Leave no one to live in their tents.
26 They chase after those you have hurt.
They talk about the pain of those you have wounded.
27 Charge them with crime after crime.
Do not let them have anything good.
28 Wipe their names from the book of life.
Do not list them with those who do what is right.
29 I am sad and hurting.
God, save me and protect me.
30 I will praise God in a song.
I will honor him by giving thanks.
31 That will please the Lord more than offering him cattle.
It will please him more than the sacrifice of a bull with horns and hooves.
32 People who are not proud will see this and be glad.
Be encouraged, you who worship God.
33 The Lord listens to those in need.
He does not look down on captives.
34 Heaven and earth should praise him.
The seas and everything in them should also.
35 God will save Jerusalem.
He will rebuild the cities of Judah.
Then people will live there and own the land.
36 The descendants of his servants will inherit that land.
Those who love him will live there.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.