M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

16 And the Lord said to Samuel, How long bewailest thou Saul, since I have cast him away, that he reign not upon Israel(?); fill thine horn with oil, and come, that I send thee to Jesse of Bethlehem; for among his sons I have purveyed a king to me (for I have chosen myself a king from among his sons).

² And Samuel said, How shall I go? for Saul shall hear (of it), and he shall slay me. And the Lord said, Thou shalt take a calf of the drove in thy hand (Thou shalt take a calf from the herd with thee), and thou shalt say, I came to make sacrifice to the Lord.

³ And thou shalt call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I shall show to thee (and I shall tell thee), what thou shalt do; and thou shalt anoint whomever I shall show to thee.

⁴ Then Samuel did, as the Lord spake to him; and he came into Bethlehem, and the elder men of the city wondered, and came to him, and said, Whether thine entry be peaceable? (Hast thou come in peace?/Is all well?)

⁵ And he said, It is peaceable; I came to make sacrifice to the Lord; be ye hallowed, and come ye with me, that I make sacrifice. Therefore he hallowed Jesse, and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice. (And he said, Yea, I have come in peace/all is well; I have come to offer a sacrifice to the Lord; be ye hallowed, and then come ye with me, and make ye also the sacrifice. Then he hallowed Jesse, and his sons, and invited them to the sacrifice.)

⁶ And when they had entered, he saw Eliab, and said, in his heart, Whether before the Lord is his christ? (Is this the Lord’s anointed?)

⁷ And the Lord said to Samuel, Behold thou not his cheer (Look thou not at his face), neither the highness of his stature; for I have cast him away, and I deem not by man’s sight; for man seeth those things that be open, but the Lord beholdeth the heart.

⁸ And Jesse called Abinadab, and brought him before Samuel; and he said, Neither the Lord hath chosen this (and he said, The Lord hath not chosen this man either).

⁹ And Jesse brought forth Shammah; of whom Samuel said, Also the Lord hath not chosen this (man).

¹⁰ And so Jesse brought forth his seven sons before Samuel (And so Jesse brought forth seven of his sons before Samuel); and Samuel said to Jesse, The Lord hath chosen none of these.

¹¹ And Samuel said to Jesse, Whether thy sons be now filled? And Jesse answered, Yet there is another little child, and he pastureth sheep. And Samuel said to Jesse, Send ye, and bring him hither; for we shall not sit to meat, before that he come hither. (And Samuel said to Jesse, Be these all thy sons? And Jesse answered, There is still another young boy, and he pastureth the sheep. And Samuel said to Jesse, Send ye for him, and bring him here; for we shall not sit to the meal, before that he come here.)

¹² Therefore Jesse sent, and brought him (And so Jesse sent for him, and brought him forth); soothly he was ruddy, and fair in sight, and of seemly face. And the Lord said, Rise thou, and anoint him; for it is he.

¹³ Therefore Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren; and the Spirit of the Lord was directed into David from that day forth. And (then) Samuel rose up, and went into Ramah.

¹⁴ And so the Spirit of the Lord went away from Saul, and a wicked spirit of the Lord travailed Saul (and then a wicked spirit from the Lord tormented him).

¹⁵ And the servants of Saul said to him, Lo! an evil spirit of the Lord travaileth thee; (And Saul’s servants said to him, Lo! an evil spirit from the Lord tormenteth thee;)

¹⁶ our lord the king command, and thy servants, that be before thee, shall seek a man, that can sing with an harp, and when the evil spirit of the Lord taketh thee, he harp with his hand, and thou bear it more easily. (let our lord the king command, and then thy servants, who be before thee, shall seek out a man who can play a harp, and so when the evil spirit from the Lord taketh hold of thee, he shall play his harp, and then thou shalt be able to bear it more easily.)

¹⁷ And Saul said to his servants, Purvey ye to me some man singing well (Find ye some man for me who can play well), and bring ye him to me.

¹⁸ And one of his servants answered and said, Lo! I saw a son of Jesse of Bethlehem, cunning to sing (who knoweth how to play), and (a) most strong man, and a man able to (do) battle, and prudent in words, and a fair man; and the Lord is with him.

¹⁹ Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse, and said, Send thou to me David thy son, that is keeping thy beasts. (And so Saul sent messengers to Jesse, and said, Send thou to me thy son David, who is keeping watch over thy sheep.)

²⁰ And so Jesse took an ass charged with loaves, and a gallon of wine, and a goat kid; and he sent those by the hand of David his son to Saul. (And so Jesse took a donkey loaded with loaves, and a gallon of wine, and a goat kid; and he sent them to Saul with his son David.)

²¹ And David came to Saul, and stood before him; and Saul loved him greatly (and Saul greatly loved him), and he was made his squire.

²² And Saul sent to Jesse, and said, (Let) David stand in my sight, for he hath found grace in mine eyes.

²³ Then whenever the evil spirit of the Lord travailed Saul (And whenever the evil spirit from the Lord tormented Saul), David took his harp, and harped with his hand, and Saul was comforted, and he had it more lightly; for (then) the evil spirit went away from him.

14 But take ye a frail man in belief, not in deemings of thoughts. [Forsooth take ye a sick man in belief, not in deceptions, or disputations, of thoughts.]

² For another man believeth, that he may eat all things; but he that is frail [but he that is sick, or unsteadfast], eat worts.

³ He that eateth, despise not him that eateth not; and he that eateth not, deem not him that eateth. For God hath taken him to him(self) [For why God hath taken him].

⁴ Who art thou, that deemest another's servant? To his lord he standeth, or falleth from him. But he shall stand; for the Lord is mighty to make him perfect^[a].

⁵ For why one deemeth a day betwixt [between] a day, another deemeth each day. Each man increase in his wit.

⁶ He that understandeth the day, understandeth to the Lord [He that savoureth, or understandeth, the day, understandeth to the Lord]. And he that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he doeth thankings to God. And he that eateth not, eateth not to the Lord, and doeth thankings to God.

⁷ For no man of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.

⁸ For whether we live, we live to the Lord; and whether we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore whether we live or die, we be of the Lord [we be (the) Lord's].

⁹ For why for this thing Christ was dead, and rose again, that he be Lord both of quick and of dead men [that he be Lord and of quick and of dead].

¹⁰ But what deemest thou thy brother? or why despisest thou thy brother? for all we shall stand before the throne of Christ.

¹¹ For it is written, I live, saith the Lord, for to me each knee shall be bowed, and each tongue shall acknowledge to God.

¹² Therefore each of us [And so each of us] shall yield reason to God for himself.

¹³ Therefore no more deem we each other; but more deem ye this thing, that ye put not hurting, or cause of stumbling [or offence], to a brother.

¹⁴ I know and trust in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean by him, no but to him that deemeth any thing to be unclean [but to him that deemeth any thing to be unclean], to him it is unclean.

¹⁵ And if thy brother be made sorry in conscience for meat [Soothly if thy brother be made sorry, or heavy in conscience, for meat], now thou walkest not after charity. Do not thou through thy meat destroy him [Do not through thy meat lose him], for whom Christ died.

¹⁶ Therefore be not your good thing blasphemed. [Therefore be not our good thing blasphemed, or despised.]

¹⁷ For why the realm of God is not meat and drink, but rightwiseness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.

¹⁸ And he that in this thing serveth Christ, pleaseth God, and is approved to men [and is proved to men].

¹⁹ Therefore follow we those things that be of peace, and keep we together those things that be of edification [and keep we those things together that be of edification].

²⁰ Do not thou for meat destroy the work of God. For all things be clean, but it is evil to the man that eateth by offending.

²¹ It is good to not eat flesh, and to not drink wine, neither in what thing thy brother offendeth, or is caused to stumble, or is made frail [neither in what thing thy brother offendeth, or is caused to offend, or is made sick, or unsteadfast].

²² Thou hast faith with thyself, have thou before God. Blessed is he that deemeth not himself in that thing that he approveth [Blessed is he that deemeth not, or condemneth not, himself in that thing that he proveth].

²³ For he that deemeth, is condemned, if he eateth; for it is not of faith. And all thing that is not of faith, is sin.^[b]

1 How sitteth alone the city (that once was so) full of people? the lady of folks is made as a widow; the princess of provinces is made under tribute. (How the city now sitteth alone, or empty, that once was so full of people! the lady of nations is made like a widow; the princess of provinces is put under tribute/is made to suffer forced labour.)

² It^[a]1 weeping wept in the night, and the tears thereof be in the cheeks thereof (and its tears be on its cheeks); there is none of all the dearworthy thereof, that comforteth it; all the friends thereof forsook it, and be made enemies to it.

³ Judah passed from torment and multitude of servage, it dwelled among heathen men, and found no rest; all the pursuers thereof took it among anguishes. (Judah went into the torment of captivity and a multitude of servitude, or of slavery, it lived among the heathen, and found no rest; all of its pursuers brought it much anguish.)

⁴ The ways of Zion mourn, for no men come to the solemnity; all the gates thereof be destroyed, the priests thereof wail; the virgins thereof be defouled, and it is oppressed with bitterness. (The ways of Zion mourn, for no people come to its solemn feasts; all its gates be destroyed, its priests wail; its virgins be defiled, and it is oppressed with bitterness.)

⁵ The enemies thereof be made in the head, and the enemies thereof be made rich, for the Lord spake on it. For the multitude of wickednesses thereof the little children thereof be led into captivity, before the face of the troubler. (Its enemies be put at its head, that is, they rule over it, and they be made rich, for the Lord spoke against it. For the multitude of its wickednesses its little children be led into captivity, by the enemy.)

⁶ And all the fairness of the daughter of Zion went out from the daughter of Zion; the princes thereof be made as rams not finding pastures; and went forth without strength before the face of the follower. (And all the beauty of the daughter of Zion went away from the daughter of Zion; its princes be made like rams not finding pasture; and they went forth without strength before their pursuer.)

⁷ And Jerusalem bethought on the days of her affliction and of trespassing, and on all her desirable things which it had from [the] eld days; when the people thereof fell down in the hand of enemies, and none helper was; [the] enemies saw it, and scorned the sabbaths thereof. (And Jerusalem remembered the days of its affliction and of its trespassing, and on all the desirable things which it had in the old days; when its people fell into the hands of its enemies, and there was no one to help them; its enemies saw it, and mocked its sabbaths.)

⁸ Jerusalem sinned a sin, therefore it was made unsteadfast; all that glorified it forsook it, for they saw the shame thereof (all who honoured it, deserted it, for they saw its shame); forsooth it wailed, and was turned aback.

⁹ The filths thereof be in the feet thereof, and it had no mind of her end; it was put down greatly, and had no comforter; Lord, see thou my torment, for the enemy is raised [up]. (Its filths be upon its feet, and it had no thought of its end; it was greatly put down, and it had no comforter; it said, Lord, see thou my torment, for the enemy is raised up against me.)

¹⁰ The enemy put his hand to all the desirable things thereof; for it saw heathen men entered into thy saintuary, of which thou haddest commanded, that they should not enter into thy church. (The enemy put his hands onto all its desirable things; and it saw the heathen go into thy Temple, of whom thou haddest commanded, that they should never enter into thy congregation.)

¹¹ All the people thereof was wailing and seeking bread, they gave all precious things for meat, to strengthen the soul; (and the city saith,) See thou, Lord, and behold, for I am made vile. (All its people were wailing and seeking bread, they gave all precious things for food, to strengthen, or to feed, themselves; and the city saith, See thou, Lord, and behold, for I am made vile.)

¹² A! all ye that pass by the way, perceive, and see, if any sorrow is as my sorrow; for he gathered away (my) grapes from me, as the Lord spake in the day of wrath of his strong vengeance. (O! all ye who go on the way, look, and see, if there is any sorrow like my sorrow; for he hath afflicted me, like the Lord said that he would, on the day of the wrath of his strong vengeance.)

¹³ From on high he sent fire in(to) my bones, and taught me; he spreaded abroad a net to my feet, he turned me aback; he setted me desolate, meddled together all day with mourning (he left me desolate, mixed together with mourning, all day long).

¹⁴ The yoke of my wickednesses watched in the hand of him, those be folded together, and put on my neck; my strength is made feeble; the Lord gave me in(to) the hand, from which I shall not be able to rise. (He watched my wickednesses, and he folded them together like a yoke, and put them about my neck; my strength is made feeble, or weak; the Lord gave me into their hands, from whom I shall not be able to escape.)

¹⁵ The Lord took away all my worshipful men from the midst of me; he called time against me, that he should all-foul my chosen men; the Lord stamped a presser to the virgin, the daughter of Judah. (The Lord took away all my honourable men from my midst; he called out time against me, so that he could defile all my chosen people; the Lord stamped the virgin, the daughter of Judah, like grapes in a winepress.)

¹⁶ Therefore I am weeping, and mine eye is leading down water; for a comforter, converting my soul, is made far from me; my sons be made lost, for the enemy had the mastery. (And so I am weeping, and my eyes be leading down water; for a comforter, to refresh my soul, is made far from me; my sons and daughters be made lost, or left desolate, for the enemy had the mastery.)

¹⁷ Zion spreaded abroad his hands, none is that comforteth it; the Lord sent against Jacob enemies thereof, in the compass thereof; Jerusalem is made as defouled with unclean blood among them. (Zion spread abroad its hands, there is no one to comfort it; the Lord sent against Jacob its enemies, all around it; Jerusalem is defiled with unclean blood among them.)

¹⁸ (And the city saith,) The Lord is just (The Lord is in the right), for I stirred his mouth to wrathfulness; all peoples, I beseech, hear ye, and see my sorrow; my virgins and my young men went forth into captivity.

¹⁹ I called my friends, and they deceived me; my priests and mine eld men in the city be wasted; for they sought meat to themselves, to comfort their life/to strengthen their life (for they sought food for themselves, to refresh their souls).

²⁰ See thou, Lord, for I am troubled, my womb is troubled; mine heart is destroyed in myself, for I am full of bitterness; [the] sword slayeth withoutforth, and like death is at home (the sword killeth people outside, and there is death at home).

²¹ They heard, that I make inward wailing, and none is that comforteth me; all mine enemies heard (of) mine evil, they be glad, for thou hast done (it); thou hast brought a day of comfort, and they shall be made like me (but thou shalt bring the day that thou hast promised, and then they shall be made like me).

²² All the evil of them enter before thee, and gather thou grapes away from them, as thou hast gathered grapes away from me, for my wickednesses; for my wailings be many, and mine heart is mourning. (Let all their evil enter before thee, and take away the grapes from them, as thou hast taken away the grapes from me, for my wickednesses; for my wailings be many, and my heart is in mourning.)

32 Learning to David. [The understanding of David.] Blessed be they, whose wickedness be forgiven; and whose sins be covered. (The teaching of David. Happy be they, whose wickedness be forgiven; and whose sins be covered.)

² Blessed is the man, to whom the Lord areckoned not sin; neither guile is in his spirit. (Happy is the person, to whom the Lord did not reckon any sin; and there is no deceit in his spirit.)

³ For I was still, my bones waxed eld; while I cried all day. (For when I kept silent/For when I did not confess my sins, my bones grew old; while I cried all day long.)

⁴ For by day and night thine hand was made grievous on me (And day and night thy hand was heavy upon me); I am turned in my wretchedness, while the thorn is set in.

⁵ (Then) I made my sin known to thee; and I hid not my unrightfulness. I said, I shall acknowledge against me mine unrightfulness to the Lord; and thou hast forgiven the wickedness of my sin.

⁶ For this thing each holy man shall pray to thee; in covenable time. Nevertheless in the great flood of many waters; they shall not (come) nigh to thee. (For this thing, each holy man shall pray to thee; in his time of need. And then, in the great flood of many troubles, none shall come near him.)

⁷ Thou art my refuge from tribulation, that (en)compassed me; thou, my fully joying, deliver me from them that (en)compass me. (Thou art my refuge, from the troubles that surround me; thou, my full out joy, deliver me from those who surround me.)

⁸ I shall give understanding to thee, and I shall teach thee; in this way in which thou shalt go, I shall make steadfast mine eyes on thee. (And the Lord said, I shall give understanding to thee, and I shall teach thee the way in which thou should go; and I shall put my eyes steadfastly upon thee.)

⁹ Do not ye be made as an horse and mule; to which is none understanding. Lord, constrain thou the cheeks of them with a barnacle and bridle; that (they) nigh not to thee. (Do not ye be made like a horse or a mule; which have no understanding, or reasoning ability. Their mouths must be constrained with a bit and a bridle; so that they finally submit to where they should go.)

¹⁰ Many beatings be of the sinner; but mercy shall (en)compass him that hopeth in the Lord. (Many beatings be to the sinner; but the love of the Lord shall surround those who trust in him.)

¹¹ Ye just men, be glad, and make fully joy in the Lord; and all ye rightful of heart, have glory. (Ye who be righteous be glad, and make full out joy, or rejoice, in the Lord; and all ye with an upright heart, have glory, or shout for joy!)