M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
The Rebellion of Sheba
20 Now there happened to be there (A)a worthless man, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjaminite. And he blew the trumpet and said,
(B)“We have no portion in David,
and we have no inheritance in the son of Jesse;
(C)every man to his tents, O Israel!”
2 So all the men of Israel withdrew from David and followed Sheba the son of Bichri. But the men of Judah followed their king steadfastly from the Jordan to Jerusalem.
3 And David came to his house at Jerusalem. And the king took (D)the ten concubines whom he had left to care for the house and put them in a house under guard and provided for them, but did not go in to them. So they were shut up until the day of their death, living as if in widowhood.
4 Then the king said to (E)Amasa, “Call the men of Judah together to me within three days, and be here yourself.” 5 So Amasa went to summon Judah, but he delayed beyond the set time that had been appointed him. 6 And David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom. Take (F)your lord's servants and pursue him, lest he get himself to fortified cities and escape from us.”[a] 7 And there went out after him Joab's men and the (G)Cherethites and the Pelethites, and all the mighty men. They went out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri. 8 When they were at the great stone that is in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Now Joab was wearing a soldier's garment, and over it was a belt with a sword in its sheath fastened on his thigh, and as he went forward it fell out. 9 And Joab said to Amasa, “Is it well with you, my brother?” And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand (H)to kiss him. 10 But Amasa did not observe the sword that was in Joab's hand. (I)So Joab struck him with it (J)in the stomach and spilled his entrails to the ground without striking a second blow, and he died.
Then Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Sheba the son of Bichri. 11 And one of Joab's young men took his stand by Amasa and said, “Whoever favours Joab, and whoever is for David, let him follow Joab.” 12 And Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the highway. And anyone who came by, seeing him, stopped. And when the man saw that all the people stopped, he carried Amasa out of the highway into the field and threw a garment over him. 13 When he was taken out of the highway, all the people went on after Joab to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri.
14 And Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to (K)Abel of (L)Beth-maacah,[b] and all (M)the Bichrites[c] assembled and followed him in. 15 And all the men who were with Joab came and besieged him in (N)Abel of Beth-maacah. (O)They cast up a mound against the city, and it stood against the rampart, and they were battering the wall to throw it down. 16 Then a wise woman called from the city, “Listen! Listen! Tell Joab, ‘Come here, that I may speak to you.’” 17 And he came near her, and the woman said, “Are you Joab?” He answered, “I am.” Then she said to him, “Listen to the words of your servant.” And he answered, “I am listening.” 18 Then she said, “They used to say in former times, ‘Let them but ask counsel at (P)Abel’, and so they settled a matter. 19 I am one of those who are peaceable and faithful in Israel. You seek to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel. Why will you (Q)swallow up (R)the heritage of the Lord?” 20 Joab answered, “Far be it from me, far be it, that I should (S)swallow up or destroy! 21 That is not true. But a man of (T)the hill country of Ephraim, called Sheba the son of Bichri, has lifted up his hand against King David. Give up him alone, and I will withdraw from the city.” And the woman said to Joab, “Behold, his head shall be thrown to you over the wall.” 22 Then the woman went to all the people (U)in her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri and threw it out to Joab. So he blew the trumpet, and they dispersed from the city, (V)every man to his home. And Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.
23 (W)Now Joab was in command of all the army of Israel; and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was in command of the Cherethites and the Pelethites; 24 and (X)Adoram was in charge of the forced labour; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was the recorder; 25 and Sheva was secretary; and (Y)Zadok and Abiathar were priests; 26 and (Z)Ira the Jairite was also David's priest.
Final Warnings
13 (A)This is the third time I am coming to you. Every charge must be established (B)by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 2 (C)I warned (D)those who sinned before and all the others, and I warn them now while absent, as I did when present on my second visit, that (E)if I come again I will not spare them— 3 since you seek proof that Christ (F)is speaking in me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but (G)is powerful among you. 4 For (H)he was crucified in weakness, but (I)lives by the power of God. For (J)we also are weak in him, but in dealing with you (K)we will live with him by the power of God.
5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. (L)Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that (M)Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! 6 I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test. 7 But we pray to God that you may not do wrong—not that we may appear to have met the test, but that you may do what is right, though we may seem to have failed. 8 For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. 9 For we are glad when (N)we are weak and you are strong. Your (O)restoration is what we pray for. 10 For this reason I write these things while I am away from you, that when I come (P)I may not have to be (Q)severe in my use of (R)the authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down.
Final Greetings
11 Finally, brothers,[a] rejoice. (S)Aim for restoration, comfort one another,[b] (T)agree with one another, (U)live in peace; and the God of love and (V)peace will be with you. 12 (W)Greet one another with a holy kiss. 13 (X)All the saints greet you.
14 (Y)The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and (Z)the love of God and (AA)the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
A Lament for Tyre
27 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Now you, (A)son of man, (B)raise a lamentation over Tyre, 3 and say to Tyre, who dwells at (C)the entrances to the sea, (D)merchant of the peoples to many coastlands, thus says the Lord God:
“O Tyre, you have said,
‘I am (E)perfect in beauty.’
4 Your borders are (F)in the heart of the seas;
your builders made perfect your beauty.
5 They made all your planks
of fir trees from (G)Senir;
they took (H)a cedar from Lebanon
to make a mast for you.
6 Of (I)oaks of Bashan
they made your oars;
they made your deck of pines
from (J)the coasts of Cyprus,
inlaid with ivory.
7 (K)Of fine embroidered linen from Egypt
was your sail,
serving as your banner;
blue and purple from (L)the coasts of Elishah
was your awning.
8 The inhabitants of Sidon and (M)Arvad
were your rowers;
your skilled men, O Tyre, were in you;
they were (N)your pilots.
9 The elders of (O)Gebal and her skilled men were in you,
(P)caulking your seams;
all the ships of the sea with their mariners were in you
to barter for your wares.
10 (Q)“Persia and (R)Lud and (S)Put were in your army as your men of war. (T)They hung the shield and helmet in you; they gave you splendour. 11 Men of (U)Arvad and Helech were on your walls all round, and men of Gamad were in your towers. They hung their shields on your walls all round; they made (V)perfect your beauty.
12 (W)“Tarshish did (X)business with you because of your great wealth of every kind; silver, iron, tin, and lead they exchanged for your (Y)wares. 13 (Z)Javan, (AA)Tubal, and (AB)Meshech traded with you; they exchanged human beings and vessels of bronze for your merchandise. 14 From (AC)Beth-togarmah they exchanged horses, war horses, and mules (AD)for your wares. 15 The men of (AE)Dedan[a] traded with you. Many coastlands were your own special markets; they brought you in payment ivory tusks and ebony. 16 Syria (AF)did business with you because of your abundant goods; they exchanged for your wares (AG)emeralds, (AH)purple, (AI)embroidered work, (AJ)fine linen, coral, and (AK)ruby. 17 Judah and the land of Israel traded with you; they exchanged for your merchandise (AL)wheat of (AM)Minnith, meal,[b] honey, oil, and (AN)balm. 18 (AO)Damascus did business with you for your abundant goods, because of your great wealth of every kind; wine of Helbon and (AP)wool of Sahar 19 and casks of wine[c] from Uzal they exchanged for your wares; wrought iron, (AQ)cassia, and (AR)calamus were bartered for your merchandise. 20 Dedan traded with you in saddlecloths for riding. 21 Arabia and all the princes of (AS)Kedar were your favoured dealers (AT)in lambs, rams, and goats; in these they did business with you. 22 The traders of (AU)Sheba and (AV)Raamah traded with you; they exchanged (AW)for your wares (AX)the best of all kinds of spices and all precious stones and gold. 23 (AY)Haran, Canneh, (AZ)Eden, traders of Sheba, (BA)Asshur, and Chilmad traded with you. 24 In your market these traded with you in choice garments, in clothes of (BB)blue and (BC)embroidered work, and in carpets of coloured material, bound with cords and made secure. 25 (BD)The ships of (BE)Tarshish travelled for you with your merchandise. So you were filled and heavily laden (BF)in the heart of the seas.
26 “Your rowers have brought you out
into the high seas.
(BG)The east wind has wrecked you
in the heart of the seas.
27 Your riches, your wares, your merchandise,
your mariners and (BH)your pilots,
(BI)your caulkers, your dealers in merchandise,
and all your men of war who are in you,
with all your crew
that is in your midst,
sink into the heart of the seas
(BJ)on the day of your fall.
28 At the sound of the cry of your pilots
(BK)the countryside shakes,
29 and down from their ships
(BL)come all who handle the oar.
The mariners and all the pilots of the sea
stand on the land
30 (BM)and shout aloud over you
and cry out bitterly.
(BN)They cast dust on their heads
(BO)and wallow in ashes;
31 they (BP)make themselves bald for you
and put sackcloth on their waist,
and they weep over you in bitterness of soul,
with bitter mourning.
32 In their wailing they (BQ)raise a lamentation for you
and lament over you:
(BR)‘Who is like Tyre,
like one destroyed in the midst of the sea?
33 When your wares came from the seas,
(BS)you satisfied many peoples;
with your abundant wealth and merchandise
(BT)you enriched the kings of the earth.
34 Now (BU)you are wrecked by the seas,
in the depths of the waters;
your merchandise and all your crew in your midst
have sunk with you.
35 (BV)All the inhabitants of the coastlands
are appalled at you,
and (BW)the hair of their kings bristles with horror;
their faces are convulsed.
36 (BX)The merchants among the peoples (BY)hiss at you;
(BZ)you have come to a dreadful end
and shall be no more for ever.’”
God Will Judge with Equity
To the choirmaster: according to (A)Do Not Destroy. (B)A Psalm of Asaph. A Song.
75 We give thanks to you, O God;
we give thanks, for your name is (C)near.
We[a] recount your wondrous deeds.
2 “At (D)the set time that I appoint
I will judge (E)with equity.
3 When the earth (F)totters, and all its inhabitants,
it is I who keep steady its (G)pillars. Selah
4 I say to the boastful, ‘Do not boast’,
and to the wicked, (H)‘Do not lift up your horn;
5 do not lift up your horn on high,
or speak with haughty neck.’”
6 For not from the east or from the west
and not from the wilderness comes (I)lifting up,
7 but it is (J)God who executes judgement,
(K)putting down one and lifting up another.
8 (L)For in the hand of the Lord there is (M)a cup
with foaming wine, (N)well mixed,
and he pours out from it,
and all the wicked of the earth
shall (O)drain it down to the dregs.
9 But I will declare it for ever;
I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
10 (P)All the horns of the wicked I will cut off,
(Q)but the horns of the righteous shall be lifted up.
Who Can Stand Before You?
To the choirmaster: with (R)stringed instruments. A Psalm of (S)Asaph. A Song.
76 In Judah God is (T)known;
his name is great in Israel.
2 His (U)abode has been established in (V)Salem,
his (W)dwelling place in Zion.
3 There he (X)broke the flashing arrows,
the shield, the sword, and the weapons of war. Selah
4 Glorious are you, more majestic
(Y)than the mountains of (Z)prey.
5 (AA)The stout-hearted were stripped of their spoil;
(AB)they sank into sleep;
all the men of war
were unable to use their hands.
6 At your rebuke, O God of Jacob,
both (AC)rider and horse lay stunned.
7 (AD)But you, you are to be feared!
Who can (AE)stand before you
when once your anger is roused?
8 From the heavens you uttered judgement;
(AF)the earth feared and was still,
9 when God (AG)arose to establish judgement,
to save all the humble of the earth. Selah
10 Surely (AH)the wrath of man shall praise you;
the remnant[b] of wrath you will put on like a belt.
11 (AI)Make your vows to the Lord your God and perform them;
let all round him (AJ)bring gifts
to him who (AK)is to be feared,
12 who (AL)cuts off the spirit of princes,
who (AM)is to be feared by the kings of the earth.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.