M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
David’s Love for Jonathan
18 David finished talking to Saul. After that, Jonathan became David’s closest friend. He loved David as much as he loved himself. 2 (From that day on Saul kept David as his servant and didn’t let him go back to his family.) 3 So Jonathan made a pledge of mutual loyalty with David because he loved him as much as he loved himself. 4 Jonathan took off the coat he had on and gave it to David along with his battle tunic, his sword, his bow, and his belt.
5 David was successful wherever Saul sent him. Saul put him in charge of the fighting men. This pleased all the people, including Saul’s officials.
David’s Success Makes Saul Jealous
6 As they arrived, David was returning from a campaign against the Philistines. Women from all of Israel’s cities came to meet King Saul. They sang and danced, accompanied by tambourines, joyful music, and triangles.[a] 7 The women who were celebrating sang,
“Saul has defeated thousands
but David tens of thousands!”
8 Saul became very angry because he considered this saying to be insulting. “To David they credit tens of thousands,” he said, “but to me they credit only a few thousand. The only thing left for David is my kingdom.” 9 From that day on Saul kept an eye on David.
10 The next day an evil spirit from Elohim seized Saul. He began to prophesy in his house while David strummed a tune on the lyre as he did every day. Now, Saul had a spear in his hand. 11 He raised the spear and thought, “I’ll nail David to the wall.” But David got away from him twice.
12 Saul was afraid of David, because Yahweh was with David but had left Saul. 13 So he kept David away. He made David captain of a regiment. David led the troops out to battle and back again. 14 He was successful in everything he undertook because Yahweh was with him. 15 Saul noticed how very successful he was and became even more afraid of him. 16 Everyone in Israel and Judah loved David, because he led them in and out of battle.
17 Finally, Saul said to David, “Here is my oldest daughter Merab. I will give her to you as your wife if you prove yourself to be a warrior for me and fight Yahweh’s battles.” (Saul thought, “I must not lay a hand on him. Let the Philistines do that.”)
18 “Who am I?” David asked Saul. “And how important are my relatives or my father’s family in Israel that I should be the king’s son-in-law?”
19 But when the time came to give Saul’s daughter Merab to David, she was married to Adriel from Meholah. 20 However, Saul’s daughter Michal fell in love with David. When Saul was told about it, the news pleased him. 21 Saul thought, “I’ll give her to David. She will trap him, and the Philistines will get him.” So he said to David a second time, “You will now be my son-in-law.”
22 Saul ordered his officers, “Talk to David in private. Tell him, ‘The king likes you, and all his officers are fond of you. Become the king’s son-in-law.’”
23 When Saul’s officers made it a point to say this, David asked, “Do you think it’s easy to become the king’s son-in-law? I am a poor and unimportant person.”
24 When the officers told Saul what David had said, 25 Saul replied, “Tell David, ‘The king doesn’t want any payment for the bride except 100 Philistine foreskins so that he can get revenge on his enemies.’” In this way Saul planned to have David fall into the hands of the Philistines. 26 When his officers told David this, David concluded that it was acceptable to become the king’s son-in-law. Before the time was up, 27 David and his men went out and struck down 200 Philistines. David brought the foreskins, and they counted them out for the king so that David could become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him his daughter Michal as his wife. 28 Saul realized that Yahweh was with David and that his daughter Michal loved David. 29 Then Saul was even more afraid of David, and so Saul became David’s constant enemy.
30 The Philistine generals still went out to fight Israel. But whenever they went out to fight, David was more successful than the rest of Saul’s officers. So David gained a good reputation.
Farewell
16 With this letter I’m introducing Phoebe to you. She is our sister in the Christian faith and a deacon[a] of the church in the city of Cenchrea. 2 Give her a Christian welcome that shows you are God’s holy people. Provide her with anything she may need, because she has provided help to many people, including me.
3 Greet Prisca and Aquila, my coworkers in the service of Christ Yeshua. 4 They risked their lives to save me. I’m thankful to them and so are all the churches among the nations. 5 Also greet the church that meets in their house.
Greet my dear friend Epaenetus. He was the first person in the province of Asia to become a believer in Christ.
6 Greet Mary, who has worked very hard for you.
7 Greet Andronicus and Junia, who are Jewish by birth like me. They are prisoners like me and are prominent among the apostles. They also were Christians before I was.
8 Greet Ampliatus my dear friend in the service of the Lord.
9 Greet Urbanus our coworker in the service of Christ, and my dear friend Stachys.
10 Greet Apelles, a true Christian.
Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus.
11 Greet Herodion, who is Jewish by birth like me.
Greet those Christians who belong to the family of Narcissus.
12 Greet Tryphaena and Tryphosa, who have worked hard for the Lord.
Greet dear Persis, who has worked very hard for the Lord.
13 Greet Rufus, that outstanding Christian, and his mother, who has been a mother to me too.
14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers and sisters who are with them.
15 Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus, and his sister, and Olympas, and all God’s people who are with them.
16 Greet each other with a holy kiss.
All the churches of Christ greet you.
17 Brothers and sisters, I urge you to watch out for those people who create divisions and who make others fall away from the Christian faith by teaching doctrine that is not the same as you have learned. Stay away from them. 18 People like these are not serving Christ our Lord. They are serving their own desires. By their smooth talk and flattering words they deceive unsuspecting people.
19 Everyone has heard about your obedience and this makes me happy for you. I want you to do what is good and to avoid what is evil. 20 The God of peace will quickly crush Satan under your feet. May the good will[b] of our Lord Yeshua be with you!
21 Timothy my coworker greets you; so do Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, who are Jewish by birth like me.
22 I, Tertius, who wrote this letter, send you Christian greetings.
23 Gaius greets you. He is host to me and the whole church.
Erastus, the city treasurer, greets you.
Quartus, our brother in the Christian faith, greets you.[c]
25 God can strengthen you by the Good News and the message I tell about Yeshua Christ. He can strengthen you by revealing the mystery that was kept in silence for a very long time 26 but now is publicly known. The everlasting God ordered that what the prophets wrote must be shown to the people of every nation to bring them to the obedience that is associated with faith. 27 God alone is wise. Glory belongs to him through Yeshua Christ forever! Amen.
The Prophet—A Man of Despair
3 [a]“I am the man who has experienced suffering under the rod of Yahweh’s fury.
2 Yahweh has driven me away
and made me walk in darkness instead of light.
3 He beat me again and again all day long.
4 He has made my flesh and my skin waste away.
He has broken my bones.
5 He has attacked me and surrounded me with bitterness and hardship.
6 He has made me live in darkness,
like those who died a long time ago.
7 He has blocked me so that I can’t get out.
He has put heavy chains on me.
8 Even when I cry and call for help, he shuts out my prayer.
9 He has blocked my way with cut stones and made my paths crooked.
10 He is like a bear waiting to ambush me, like a lion in hiding.
11 He has forced me off the road I was taking, torn me to pieces,
and left me with nothing.
12 He has drawn his bow and made me the target for his arrows.
13 He has shot the arrows from his quiver into my heart.
14 I have become a laughingstock to all my people.
All day long they make fun of me with their songs.
15 He has filled me with bitterness.
He has made me drink wormwood.
16 He has ground my teeth with gravel.
He has trampled me into the dust.
17 “My soul has been kept from enjoying peace.
I have forgotten what happiness is.
18 I said, ‘I’ve lost my strength to live and my hope in the Lord.’
19 Remember my suffering and my aimless wandering,
the wormwood and poison.
20 My soul continues to remember these things and is so discouraged.
The Prophet—A Man of Hope
21 “The reason I can still find hope is that I keep this one thing in mind:
22 the Lord’s mercy.
We were not completely wiped out.
His compassion is never limited.
23 It is new every morning.
His faithfulness is great.
24 My soul can say, ‘The Lord is my lot in life.
That is why I find hope in him.’
25 The Lord is good to those who wait for him,
to anyone who seeks help from him.
26 “It is good to continue to hope and wait silently
for the Lord to save us.
27 It is good for people to endure burdens when they’re young.
28 They should sit alone and remain silent
because Yahweh has laid these burdens on them.
29 They should put their mouths in the dust.
Maybe a reason to hope exists.
30 They should turn their cheeks to the one who strikes them
and take their fill of insults.
31 “Adonay will not reject such people forever.
32 Even if he makes us suffer,
he will have compassion
in keeping with the richness of his mercy.
33 He does not willingly bring suffering or grief to anyone,
34 crush any prisoner on earth underfoot,
35 deny people their rights in the presence of Elyon,
36 or deprive people of justice in court.
Adonay isn’t happy to see these things.
37 Who was it who spoke and it came into being?
It was Adonay who gave the order.
38 Both good and bad come from the mouth of the Most High God.
39 “Why should any living mortal (any person)
complain about being punished for sin?
40 Let us look closely at our ways and examine them
and then return to Yahweh.
41 Let us raise our hearts and hands to El in heaven.
42 “We have been disobedient and rebellious.
You haven’t forgiven us.
43 You covered yourself with anger and pursued us.
You killed without pity.
44 You covered yourself with a cloud
so that no prayer could get through it.
45 You made us the scum and trash of the nations.
46 All our enemies gawk at us.
47 Panic and pitfalls have found us, so have devastation and destruction.
48 “Streams of tears run down from my eyes
over the ruin of my dear people.
49 My eyes will keep flowing without stopping for a moment
50 until Yahweh looks down from heaven and sees.
51 What I see with my eyes disturbs me deeply
because of all the young women in my city.[b]
52 “Those who were my enemies for no reason hunted me like a bird.
53 They threw me alive into a pit and threw rocks at me.
54 Water flowed over my head. I thought I was finished.
55 “I call your name from the deepest pit, O Yahweh.
56 Listen to my cry for help.
Don’t close your ears when I cry out for relief.
57 Be close at hand when I call to you. You told me not to be afraid.
58 Plead my case for me, O Adonay. Reclaim my life.
59 Look at the wrong that has been done to me, O Yahweh.
Give me a fair verdict.
60 Look at all their malice, all their plots against me.
61 Listen to their insults, all their plots against me.
62 The words and thoughts of those who attack me
are directed against me all day long.
63 Look at them! Whether they are sitting or standing,
they make fun of me in their songs.
64 Pay them back, O Yahweh, for what they deserve,
for what their own hands have done.
65 Make them stubborn. Let your curse be on them.
66 Pursue them in anger, and wipe them out from under Yahweh’s heaven.”
Psalm 34[a]
By David when he pretended to be insane in the presence of Abimelech; Abimelech threw him out, so David left.
1 I will thank Yahweh at all times.
My mouth will always praise him.
2 My soul will boast about Yahweh.
Those who are oppressed will hear it and rejoice.
3 Praise Yahweh’s greatness with me.
Let us highly honor his name together.
4 I went to Yahweh for help.
He answered me and rescued me from all my fears.
5 All who look to him will be radiant.[b]
Their faces will never be covered with shame.
6 Here is a poor man who called out.
Yahweh heard him and saved him from all his troubles.
7 The Messenger of Yahweh camps around those who fear him,
and he rescues them.
8 Taste and see that Yahweh is good.
Blessed is the person who takes refuge in him.
9 Fear Yahweh, you holy people who belong to him.
Those who fear him are never in need.
10 Young lions go hungry and may starve,
but those who seek Yahweh’s help have all the good things they need.
11 Come, children, listen to me.
I will teach you the fear of Yahweh.
12 Which of you wants a full life?
Who would like to live long enough to enjoy good things?
13 Keep your tongue from saying evil things
and your lips from speaking deceitful things.
14 Turn away from evil, and do good.
Seek peace, and pursue it!
15 Yahweh’s eyes are on righteous people.
His ears hear their cry for help.
16 Yahweh confronts those who do evil
in order to wipe out all memory of them from the earth.
17 Righteous people cry out.
Yahweh hears and rescues them from all their troubles.
18 Yahweh is near to those whose hearts are humble.
He saves those whose spirits are crushed.
19 The righteous person has many troubles,
but Yahweh rescues him from all of them.
20 Yahweh guards all of his bones.
Not one of them is broken.
21 Evil will kill wicked people,
and those who hate righteous people will be condemned.
22 Yahweh protects the souls of his servants.
All who take refuge in him will never be condemned.
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.