M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Ish-bosheth Murdered
4 Now when [a]Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, heard that (A)Abner had died in Hebron, [b](B)he lost courage, and all Israel was disturbed. 2 Saul’s son had two men who were commanders of bands: the name of the one was Baanah and the name of the other Rechab, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, of the sons of Benjamin (for (C)Beeroth is also considered (D)part of Benjamin, 3 and the Beerothites fled to (E)Gittaim and have been aliens there until this day).
4 Now (F)Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son crippled in his feet. He was five years old when the (G)report of Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel, and his nurse took him up and fled. And it happened that in her hurry to flee, he fell and became lame. And his name was [c](H)Mephibosheth.
5 So the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, departed and came to the house of (I)Ish-bosheth in the heat of the day while he was taking his midday rest. 6 [d]They came to the middle of the house as [e]if to get wheat, and (J)they struck him in the belly; and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped. 7 Now when they came into the house, as he was lying on his bed in his bedroom, they struck him and killed him and beheaded him. And they took his head and [f](K)traveled by way of the Arabah all night. 8 Then they brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David at Hebron and said to the king, “Behold, the head of Ish-bosheth (L)the son of Saul, your enemy, who sought your life; thus the Lord has given my lord the king vengeance this day on Saul and his [g]descendants.”
9 David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said to them, “As the Lord lives, (M)who has redeemed my life from all distress, 10 (N)when one told me, saying, ‘Behold, Saul is dead,’ and [h]thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and killed him in Ziklag, which was the reward I gave him for his news. 11 How much more, when wicked men have killed a righteous man in his own house on his bed, shall I not now (O)require his blood from your hand and [i]destroy you from the earth?” 12 Then (P)David commanded the young men, and they killed them and cut off their hands and feet and hung them up beside the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth (Q)and buried it in the grave of Abner in Hebron.
David King over All Israel
5 (R)Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and [j]said, “Behold, we are (S)your bone and your flesh. 2 Previously, when Saul was king over us, (T)you were the one who led Israel out and in. And the Lord said to you, ‘(U)You will shepherd My people Israel, and you will be (V)a ruler over Israel.’” 3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David (W)made a covenant with them before the Lord at Hebron; then (X)they anointed David king over Israel. 4 David was (Y)thirty years old when he became king, and (Z)he reigned forty years. 5 At Hebron (AA)he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.
6 (AB)Now the king and his men went to (AC)Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, and they said to [k]David, “You shall not come in here, but the blind and lame will turn you away”; [l]thinking, “David cannot enter here.” 7 Nevertheless, David captured the stronghold of Zion, that is (AD)the city of David. 8 David said on that day, “Whoever would strike the Jebusites, let him reach the lame and the blind, who are hated by David’s soul, through the water tunnel.” Therefore they say, “The blind or the lame shall not come into the house.” 9 So David lived in the stronghold and called it (AE)the city of David. And David built all around from the [m](AF)Millo and inward. 10 (AG)David became greater and greater, for the Lord God of hosts was with him.
11 (AH)Then Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David with cedar trees and carpenters and stonemasons; and (AI)they built a house for David. 12 And David realized that the Lord had established him as king over Israel, and that He had exalted his kingdom for the sake of His people Israel.
13 Meanwhile (AJ)David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, after he came from Hebron; and more sons and daughters were born to David. 14 Now (AK)these are the names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, 15 Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, 16 Elishama, Eliada and Eliphelet.
War with the Philistines
17 When the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, (AL)all the Philistines went up to seek out David; and when David heard of it, he went down to the (AM)stronghold. 18 Now the Philistines came and spread themselves out in (AN)the valley of Rephaim. 19 Then (AO)David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You give them into my hand?” And (AP)the Lord said to David, “Go up, for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand.” 20 So David came to (AQ)Baal-perazim and [n]defeated them there; and he said, “The Lord has broken through my enemies before me like the breakthrough of waters.” Therefore he named that place [o]Baal-perazim. 21 They abandoned their idols there, so (AR)David and his men carried them away.
22 Now (AS)the Philistines came up once again and spread themselves out in the valley of Rephaim. 23 When (AT)David inquired of the Lord, He said, “You shall not go directly up; circle around behind them and come at them in front of the [p]balsam trees. 24 It shall be, when (AU)you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the [q]balsam trees, then you shall act promptly, for then (AV)the Lord will have gone out before you to strike the army of the Philistines.” 25 Then David did so, just as the Lord had commanded him, and struck down the Philistines from [r](AW)Geba [s]as far as (AX)Gezer.
The Fact of Christ’s Resurrection
15 Now (A)I make known to you, brethren, the (B)gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, (C)in which also you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, (D)if you hold fast [a]the word which I preached to you, (E)unless you believed in vain.
3 For (F)I delivered to you [b]as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died (G)for our sins (H)according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He was (I)raised on the third day (J)according to the Scriptures, 5 and that (K)He appeared to (L)Cephas, then (M)to the twelve. 6 After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some (N)have fallen asleep; 7 then He appeared to [c](O)James, then to (P)all the apostles; 8 and last of all, as [d]to one untimely born, (Q)He appeared to me also. 9 For I am (R)the least of the apostles, [e]and not fit to be called an apostle, because I (S)persecuted the church of God. 10 But by (T)the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I (U)labored even more than all of them, yet (V)not I, but the grace of God with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.
12 Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there (W)is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; 14 and (X)if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. 15 Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified [f]against God that He (Y)raised [g]Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; 17 and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; (Z)you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who (AA)have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are (AB)of all men most to be pitied.
The Order of Resurrection
20 But now Christ (AC)has been raised from the dead, the (AD)first fruits of those who (AE)are asleep. 21 For since (AF)by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For (AG)as in Adam all die, so also in [h]Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ (AH)the first fruits, after that (AI)those who are Christ’s at (AJ)His coming, 24 then comes the end, when He hands over (AK)the kingdom to the (AL)God and Father, when He has abolished (AM)all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign (AN)until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be (AO)abolished is death. 27 For (AP)He has put all things in subjection under His feet. But when He says, “(AQ)All things are put in subjection,” it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him. 28 When (AR)all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that (AS)God may be all in all.
29 Otherwise, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized for them? 30 Why are we also (AT)in danger every hour? 31 I affirm, brethren, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, (AU)I die daily. 32 If [i]from human motives I (AV)fought with wild beasts at (AW)Ephesus, what does it profit me? If the dead are not raised, (AX)let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. 33 (AY)Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.” 34 (AZ)Become sober-minded [j]as you ought, and stop sinning; for some have (BA)no knowledge of God. (BB)I speak this to your shame.
35 But (BC)someone will say, “How are (BD)the dead raised? And with what kind of body do they come?” 36 (BE)You fool! That which you (BF)sow does not come to life unless it dies; 37 and that which you sow, you do not sow the body which is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or of [k]something else. 38 But God gives it a body just as He wished, and (BG)to each of the seeds a body of its own. 39 All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another flesh of birds, and another of fish. 40 There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.
42 (BH)So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown [l](BI)a perishable body, it is raised [m](BJ)an imperishable body; 43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in (BK)glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44 it is sown a (BL)natural body, it is raised a (BM)spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 So also it is written, “The first (BN)man, Adam, became a living soul.” The (BO)last Adam became a (BP)life-giving spirit. 46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. 47 The first man is (BQ)from the earth, [n](BR)earthy; the second man is from heaven. 48 As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, (BS)so also are those who are heavenly. 49 Just as we have (BT)borne the image of the earthy, [o]we (BU)will also bear the image of the heavenly.
The Mystery of Resurrection
50 Now I say this, brethren, that (BV)flesh and blood cannot (BW)inherit the kingdom of God; nor does [p]the perishable inherit [q](BX)the imperishable. 51 Behold, I tell you a (BY)mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be (BZ)changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for (CA)the trumpet will sound, and (CB)the dead will be raised [r]imperishable, and (CC)we will be changed. 53 For this [s]perishable must put on [t](CD)the imperishable, and this (CE)mortal must put on immortality. 54 But when this [u]perishable will have put on [v]the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “(CF)Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 (CG)O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 The sting of (CH)death is sin, and (CI)the power of sin is the law; 57 but (CJ)thanks be to God, who gives us the (CK)victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 (CL)Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in (CM)the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.
False Prophets Condemned
13 Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the (A)prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy from their own [a]inspiration, ‘(B)Listen to the word of the Lord! 3 Thus says the Lord [b]God, “Woe to the (C)foolish prophets who are following their own spirit and have (D)seen nothing. 4 O Israel, your prophets have been like foxes among ruins. 5 You have not (E)gone up into the (F)breaches, nor did you build the wall around the house of Israel to stand in the battle on the (G)day of the Lord. 6 They see [c](H)falsehood and lying divination who are saying, ‘The Lord declares,’ when the Lord has not sent them; (I)yet they hope for the fulfillment of their word. 7 (J)Did you not see a false vision and speak a lying divination when you said, ‘The Lord declares,’ but it is not I who have spoken?”’”
8 Therefore, thus says the Lord God, “Because you have spoken [d]falsehood and seen a lie, therefore behold, (K)I am against you,” declares the Lord God. 9 “So My hand will be against the (L)prophets who see false visions and utter lying divinations. They will [e]have no place in the council of My people, (M)nor will they be written down in the register of the house of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel, [f]that you may know that I am the Lord God. 10 It is definitely because they have (N)misled My people by saying, ‘(O)Peace!’ when there is (P)no peace. And when anyone builds a wall, behold, they plaster it over with whitewash; 11 so tell those who plaster it over with whitewash, that it will fall. A (Q)flooding rain will come, and you, O hailstones, will fall; and a violent wind will break out. 12 Behold, when the wall has fallen, will you not be asked, ‘Where is the plaster with which you plastered it?’” 13 Therefore, thus says the Lord God, “I will make a violent wind break out in My wrath. There will also be in My anger a flooding rain and (R)hailstones to consume it in wrath. 14 So I will tear down the wall which you plastered over with whitewash and bring it down to the ground, so that its (S)foundation is laid bare; and when it falls, you will be (T)consumed in its midst. And you will (U)know that I am the Lord. 15 Thus I will spend My wrath on the wall and on those who have plastered it over with whitewash; and I will say to you, ‘The wall [g]is gone and its plasterers are gone, 16 along with the prophets of Israel who prophesy to Jerusalem, and who (V)see visions of peace for her when there is (W)no peace,’ declares the Lord God.
17 “Now you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people who are (X)prophesying (Y)from their own [h]inspiration. Prophesy against them 18 and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Woe to the women who sew magic bands on [i]all wrists and make veils for the heads of persons of every stature to (Z)hunt down [j]lives! Will you hunt down the [k]lives of My people, but preserve the [l]lives of others for yourselves? 19 (AA)For handfuls of barley and fragments of bread, you have profaned Me to My people to put to death [m]some who should not die and to (AB)keep [n]others alive who should not live, by your lying to My people who listen to lies.”’”
20 Therefore, thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am against your magic bands by which you hunt [o]lives there as [p]birds and I will tear them from your arms; and I will let [q]them go, even those [r]lives whom you hunt as [s]birds. 21 I will also tear off your veils and (AC)deliver My people from your hands, and they will no longer be in your hands to be hunted; and you will know that I am the Lord. 22 Because you (AD)disheartened the righteous with falsehood when I did not cause him grief, but have [t](AE)encouraged the wicked not to (AF)turn from his wicked way and preserve his life, 23 therefore, you women will no longer see [u](AG)false visions or practice divination, and I will (AH)deliver My people out of your hand. Thus you will (AI)know that I am the Lord.”
Futility of Boastful Wickedness.
For the choir director. A [a]Maskil of David, [b]when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul and said to him, “David has come to the house of Ahimelech.”
52 Why do you (A)boast in evil, O mighty man?
The (B)lovingkindness of God endures all day long.
2 Your tongue devises (C)destruction,
Like a (D)sharp razor, (E)O worker of deceit.
3 You (F)love evil more than good,
(G)Falsehood more than speaking what is right. [c]Selah.
4 You love all words that devour,
O (H)deceitful tongue.
5 [d]But God will break you down forever;
He will snatch you up and (I)tear you away from your tent,
And (J)uproot you from the (K)land of the living. Selah.
6 The righteous will (L)see and fear,
And will (M)laugh at him, saying,
7 “Behold, the man who would not make God his refuge,
But (N)trusted in the abundance of his riches
And (O)was strong in [e]his evil desire.”
8 But as for me, I am like a (P)green olive tree in the house of God;
I (Q)trust in the lovingkindness of God forever and ever.
9 I will (R)give You thanks forever, because You have done it,
And I will wait on Your name, (S)for it is good, in the presence of Your godly ones.
Folly and Wickedness of Men.
For the choir director; according to [f]Mahalath. A [g]Maskil of David.
53 (T)The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God,”
They are corrupt, and have committed abominable injustice;
(U)There is no one who does good.
2 God has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men
To see if there is (V)anyone who [h]understands,
Who (W)seeks after God.
3 (X)Every one of them has turned aside; together they have become corrupt;
There is no one who does good, not even one.
4 Have the workers of wickedness (Y)no knowledge,
Who eat up My people as though they ate bread
And have not called upon God?
5 There they were in great [i]fear (Z)where no [j]fear had been;
For God (AA)scattered the bones of [k]him who encamped against you;
You (AB)put them to shame, because (AC)God had rejected them.
6 Oh, that (AD)the salvation of Israel [l]would come out of Zion!
When God [m]restores His captive people,
[n]Let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.
Prayer for Defense against Enemies.
For the choir director; on stringed instruments. A [o]Maskil of David, [p]when the Ziphites came and said to Saul, “Is not David hiding himself among us?”
54 Save me, O God, by (AE)Your name,
And [q]vindicate me by (AF)Your power.
2 (AG)Hear my prayer, O God;
(AH)Give ear to the words of my mouth.
3 For strangers have (AI)risen against me
And (AJ)violent men have (AK)sought my [r]life;
They have (AL)not set God before them. [s]Selah.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.