M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
18 David and Saul finished talking, and soon David and Jonathan[a] became best friends. Jonathan thought as much of David as he did of himself. 2 From that time on, Saul kept David in his service and would not let David go back to his own family.
3 Jonathan liked David so much that they promised to always be loyal friends. 4 Jonathan took off the robe that he was wearing and gave it to David. He also gave him his military clothes,[b] his sword, his bow and arrows, and his belt.
5 David was a success in everything that Saul sent him to do, and Saul made him a high officer in his army. That pleased everyone, including Saul's other officers.
Saul Becomes David's Enemy
6 David had killed Goliath, the battle was over, and the Israelite army set out for home. As the army went along, women came out of each Israelite town to welcome King Saul. They were celebrating by singing songs and dancing to the music of tambourines and harps. 7 (A) They sang:
Saul has killed
a thousand enemies;
David has killed
ten thousand!
8 This song made Saul very angry, and he thought, “They are saying that David has killed ten times more enemies than I ever did. Next they will want to make him king.” 9 Saul never again trusted David.
10 The next day the Lord let an evil spirit take control of Saul, and he began acting like a crazy man inside his house. David came to play the harp for Saul as usual, but this time Saul had a spear in his hand. 11 Saul thought, “I'll pin David to the wall.” He threw the spear at David twice, but David dodged and got away both times.
12 Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was helping David and was no longer helping him. 13 Saul put David in charge of 1,000 soldiers and sent him out to fight. 14 The Lord helped David, and he and his soldiers always won their battles. 15 This made Saul even more afraid of David. 16 But everyone else in Judah and Israel was loyal to[c] David, because he led the army in battle.
17 One day, Saul told David, “If you'll be brave and fight the Lord's battles for me, I'll let you marry my oldest daughter Merab.” But Saul was really thinking, “I don't want to kill David myself, so I'll let the Philistines do it for me.”
18 David answered, “How could I possibly marry your daughter? I'm not very important, and neither is my family.”
19 But when the time came for David to marry Saul's daughter Merab, Saul told her to marry Adriel from the town of Meholah.
20 Saul had another daughter. Her name was Michal, and Saul found out that she was in love with David. This made Saul happy, 21 and he thought, “I'll tell David he can marry Michal, but I'll set it up so that the Philistines will kill him.” He told David, “I'm going to give you a second chance to marry one of my daughters.”
22-23 Saul ordered his officials to speak to David in private, so they went to David and said, “Look, the king likes you, and all of his officials are loyal to you. Why not ask the king if you can marry his daughter Michal?”
“I'm not rich[d] or famous enough to marry princess Michal!” David answered.
24 The officials went back to Saul and told him exactly what David had said. 25 Saul was hoping that the Philistines would kill David, and he told his officials to tell David, “The king doesn't want any silver or gold. He only wants to get even with his enemies. All you have to do is to bring back proof that you have killed 100 Philistines!”[e] 26 The officials told David, and David wanted to marry the princess.
King Saul had set a time limit, and before it ran out, 27 David and his men left and killed 200 Philistines. David brought back the proof that Saul had demanded and showed it to him, so he could marry Michal. Saul agreed to let David marry Michal. 28 King Saul knew that she loved David,[f] and he also realized that the Lord was helping David. 29 But knowing those things made Saul even more afraid of David, and he was David's enemy for the rest of his life.
30 The Philistine rulers kept coming to fight Israel, but whenever David fought them, he won. He was famous because he won more battles against the Philistines than any of Saul's other officers.
Personal Greetings
16 I have good things to say about Phoebe, who is a leader in the church at Cenchreae. 2 Welcome her in a way that is proper for someone who has faith in the Lord and is one of God's own people. Help her in any way you can. After all, she has proved to be a respected leader for many others, including me.
3 (A) Give my greetings to Priscilla and Aquila. They have not only served Christ Jesus together with me, 4 but they have even risked their lives for me. I am grateful for them and so are all the Gentile churches. 5 Greet the church that meets in their home.
Greet my dear friend Epaenetus, who was the first person in Asia to have faith in Christ.
6 Greet Mary, who has worked so hard for you.
7 Greet my relatives[a] Andronicus and Junia, who were in jail with me. They are highly respected by the apostles and were followers of Christ before I was.
8 Greet Ampliatus, my dear friend whose faith is in the Lord.
9 Greet Urbanus, who serves Christ along with us.
Greet my dear friend Stachys.
10 Greet Apelles, a faithful servant of Christ.
Greet Aristobulus and his family.
11 Greet Herodion, who is a relative[b] of mine.
Greet Narcissus and the others in his family, who have faith in the Lord.
12 Greet Tryphaena and Tryphosa, who work hard for the Lord.
Greet my dear friend Persis. She also works hard for the Lord.
13 (B) Greet Rufus, that special servant of the Lord, and greet his mother, who has been like a mother to me.
14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, and Hermas, as well as our friends who are with them.
15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all of God's people who are with them.
16 Be sure to give each other a warm greeting.
All of Christ's churches greet you.
17 My friends, I beg you to watch out for anyone who causes trouble and divides the church by refusing to do what all of you were taught. Stay away from them! 18 They want to serve themselves and not Christ the Lord. Their flattery and fancy talk fool people who don't know any better. 19 I am glad that everyone knows how well you obey the Lord. But still, I want you to understand what is good and not have anything to do with evil. 20 Then God, who gives peace, will soon crush Satan under your feet. I pray that our Lord Jesus will be kind to you.
21 (C) Timothy, who works with me, sends his greetings, and so do my relatives,[c] Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater.
22 I, Tertius, also send my greetings. I am a follower of the Lord, and I wrote this letter.[d]
23-24 (D) Gaius welcomes me and the whole church into his home, and he sends his greetings.
Erastus, the city treasurer, and our dear friend Quartus send their greetings too.[e]
Paul's Closing Prayer
25 Praise God! He can make you strong by means of my good news, which is the message about[f] Jesus Christ. For ages and ages this message was kept secret, 26 but now at last it has been told. The eternal God commanded his prophets to write about the good news, so that all nations would obey and have faith. 27 (E) And now, because of Jesus Christ, we can praise the only wise God forever! Amen.[g]
There Is Still Hope
The Prophet Speaks:
3 I have suffered much
because God was angry.
2 He chased me into a dark place,
where no light could enter.
3 I am the only one he punishes
over and over again,
without ever stopping.
4 God caused my skin and flesh
to waste away,
and he crushed my bones.
5 He attacked and surrounded me
with hardships and trouble;
6 he forced me to sit in the dark
like someone long dead.
7 God built a fence around me
that I cannot climb over,
and he chained me down.
8 Even when I shouted
and prayed for help,
he refused to listen.
9 God put big rocks in my way
and made me follow
a crooked path.
10 God was like a bear or a lion
waiting in ambush for me;
11 he dragged me from the road,
then tore me to shreds.[a]
12 God took careful aim
and shot his arrows
13 straight through my heart.
14 I am a joke to everyone—
no one ever stops
making fun of me.
15 God has turned my life sour.
16 He made me eat gravel
and rubbed me in the dirt.
17 I cannot find peace
or remember happiness.
18 I tell myself, “I am finished!
I can't count on the Lord
to do anything for me.”
19 Just thinking of my troubles
and my lonely wandering
makes me miserable.
20 That's all I ever think about,
and I am depressed.[b]
21 Then I remember something
that fills me with hope.
22 The Lord's kindness never fails!
If he had not been merciful,
we would have been destroyed.[c]
23 The Lord can always be trusted
to show mercy each morning.
24 Deep in my heart I say,
“The Lord is all I need;
I can depend on him!”
25 The Lord is kind to everyone
who trusts and obeys him.
26 It is good to wait patiently
for the Lord to save us.
27 When we are young,
it is good to struggle hard
28 and to sit silently alone,
if this is what
the Lord intends.
29 Being rubbed in the dirt
can teach us a lesson;[d]
30 we can also learn from insults
and hard knocks.
31 The Lord won't always reject us!
32 He causes a lot of suffering,
but he also has pity
because of his great love.
33 The Lord doesn't enjoy
sending grief or pain.
34 Don't trample prisoners
under your feet
35 or cheat anyone out of
what is rightfully theirs.
God Most High sees everything,
36 and he knows when you refuse
to give someone a fair trial.
37 No one can do anything
without the Lord's approval.
38 Good and bad each happen
at the command
of God Most High.
39 We're still alive!
We shouldn't complain
when we are being punished
for our sins.
40 Instead, we should think
about the way we are living,
and turn back to the Lord.
41 When we lift our hands
in prayer to God in heaven,
we should offer him our hearts
and say, 42 “We've sinned!
We've rebelled against you,
and you haven't forgiven us!
43 Anger is written all over you,
as you pursue and slaughter us
without showing pity.
44 You are behind a wall of clouds
that blocks out our prayers.
45 You allowed nations
to treat us like garbage;
46 our enemies curse us.
47 We are terrified and trapped,
caught and crushed.”
48 My people are destroyed!
Tears flood my eyes,
49 and they won't stop
50 until the Lord looks down
from heaven and helps.
51 I am horrified when I see
what enemies have done
to the young women of our city.
52 No one had reason to hate me,
but I was hunted down
like a bird.
53 Then they tried to kill me
by tossing me into a pit
and throwing stones at me.
54 Water covered my head—
I thought I was gone.
55 From the bottom of the pit,
I prayed to you, Lord.
56 I begged you to listen.
“Help!” I shouted. “Save me!”
You answered my prayer
57 and came when I was in need.
You told me, “Don't worry!”
58 You rescued me
and saved my life.
59 You saw them abuse me, Lord,
so make things right.
60 You know every plot
they have made against me.
61 Yes, you know their insults
and their evil plans.
62 All day long they attack
with words and whispers.
63 No matter what they are doing,
they keep on mocking me.
64 Pay them back for everything
they have done, Lord!
65 Put your curse on them
and make them suffer.[e]
66 Get angry and go after them
until not a trace is left
under the heavens.
(Written by David when he pretended to be crazy in front of Abimelech, so that Abimelech would send him away, and David could leave.)
Honor the Lord
1 (A) I will always praise the Lord.
2 With all my heart,
I will praise the Lord.
Let all who are helpless,
listen and be glad.
3 Honor the Lord with me!
Celebrate his great name.
4 I asked the Lord for help,
and he saved me
from all my fears.
5 Keep your eyes on the Lord!
You will shine like the sun
and never blush with shame.
6 I was a nobody, but I prayed,
and the Lord saved me
from all my troubles.
7 If you honor the Lord,
his angel will protect you.
8 (B) Discover for yourself
that the Lord is kind.
Come to him for protection,
and you will be glad.
9 Honor the Lord!
You are his special people.
No one who honors the Lord
will ever be in need.
10 Young lions[a] may go hungry
or even starve,
but if you trust the Lord,
you will never miss out
on anything good.
11 Come, my children, listen
as I teach you
to respect the Lord.
12 (C) Do you want to live
and enjoy a long life?
13 Then don't say cruel things
and don't tell lies.
14 Do good instead of evil
and try to live at peace.
15 If you obey the Lord,
he will watch over you
and answer your prayers.
16 But God despises evil people,
and he will wipe them all
from the earth,
till they are forgotten.
17 When his people pray for help,
he listens and rescues them
from their troubles.
18 The Lord is there to rescue
all
who are discouraged
and have given up hope.
19 The Lord's people
may suffer a lot,
but he will always
bring them safely through.
20 (D) Not one of their bones
will ever be broken.
21 Wicked people are killed
by their own evil deeds,
and if you hate God's people
you will be punished.
22 The Lord saves the lives
of his servants.
Run to him for protection,
and you won't be punished.
Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.