M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Judah Anoints David King
2 Now it came to pass after this that David inquired of Adonai saying, “Should I go up to one of the towns of Judah?”
Adonai said to him, “Go up.”
“Where shall I go up?” David asked.
“To Hebron,” He said.
2 So David went up there, along with his two wives—Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite. 3 David also brought up his men that were with him, each with his household, and they settled in the towns of Hebron. 4 Then the men of Judah came and there anointed David king over the house of Judah.
Then they told David saying, “It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul.”
5 So David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead and said to them, “Blessed are you of Adonai for showing this kindness to Saul your lord, by burying him. 6 So now may Adonai show you kindness and faithfulness; and I also will show you goodness because you have done this thing. 7 Now therefore, be strong and brave, for Saul your lord is dead, and also the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.”
Forces of Abner and Joab Battle
8 Now Abner son of Ner, Saul’s army commander, had taken Saul’s son Ish-bosheth, and brought him over to Mahanaim. 9 Then he made him king over Gilead, Asher, Jezreel, Ephraim, and Benjamin—over all Israel. 10 Saul’s son Ish-bosheth was 40 years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned for two years. But the house of Judah followed David. 11 The time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.
12 Once Abner son of Ner and the troops of Saul’s son Ish-bosheth went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. 13 Meanwhile Joab son of Zeruiah and the troops of David went out—they met each other by the pool of Gibeon, so they sat down, one group on one side of the pool, and the other on the other side of the pool. 14 Then Abner said to Joab, “Now let the young men get up and compete before us.”
“Let them get up,” Joab replied. 15 Then they got up and came forward by number—12 for Benjamin and for Saul’s son Ish-bosheth and 12 from David’s servants. 16 Then each grasped his opponent by the head and thrust his sword in his opponent’s side; so they all fell down together. Therefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim[a], which is in Gibeon. 17 The battle was very fierce that day, and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated before David’s servants.
18 Now the three sons of Zeruiah were Joab, Abishai and Asahel. Asahel was as swift-footed as one of the gazelles of the field. 19 Asahel pursued Abner, not swerving to the right or to the left from pursuing Abner. 20 Then Abner looked behind him and asked, “Is it you, Asahel?”
“It is I,” he answered.
21 So Abner said to him, “Turn away to your right or to your left, seize one of the young men and take his armor for yourself.” But Asahel would not turn away from following him. 22 Once again Abner warned Asahel, “Turn away from pursuing me! Why should I strike you to the ground? How would I ever look your brother Joab in the face?” 23 But he refused to turn aside, so Abner struck him with the butt end of the spear in the groin, so that the spear came out through his back, and he fell down there and died on the spot. When all who came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died, they stood still. 24 But Joab and Abishai continued pursuing Abner. As the sun was setting, they reached the hill of Ammah, which faces Giah on the road to the wilderness of Gibeon.
25 Then the sons of Benjamin rallied to Abner and became one group, taking their stand on top of one of the hills. 26 Then Abner called out to Joab and said, “Must the sword devour forever? Don’t you realize how bitter it will be in the end? How long until you order the people to stop pursuing their kinsmen?”
27 “As God lives,” Joab replied, “if you had not spoken, then surely the people would have gone up until the morning, everyone after his kinsman.” 28 So Joab blew the shofar, and all the soldiers halted, and pursued Israel no more, nor did they continue to fight any longer. 29 So Abner and his men marched all that night through the Arabah, then they crossed over the Jordan, and marched through all morning until they reached Mahanaim. 30 Joab returned from pursuing Abner, and when he had gathered all the troops, nineteen of David’s soldiers besides Asahel were missing. 31 But David’s soldiers had struck down many of Benjamin and Abner’s men, so that 360 men died. 32 Then they took up Asahel and buried him in his father’s tomb, which was in Beth-lehem. Joab and his men marched all night, until the day dawned on them at Hebron.
The Superior Way of Love
13 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels
but have not love,
I have become a noisy gong
or a clanging cymbal.
2 If I have the gift of prophecy
and know all mysteries and all knowledge,
and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains
but have not love,
I am nothing.
3 If I give away all that I own
and if I hand over my body so I might boast[a]
but have not love,
I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient,
love is kind,
it does not envy,
it does not brag,
it is not puffed up,
5 it does not behave inappropriately,
it does not seek its own way,
it is not provoked,
it keeps no account of wrong,
6 it does not rejoice over injustice
but rejoices in the truth;
7 it bears all things,
it believes all things,
it hopes all things,
it endures all things.
8 Love never fails—
but where there are prophecies,
they will pass away;
where there are tongues,
they will cease;
where there is knowledge,
it will pass away.
9 For we know in part
and we prophesy in part;
10 but when that which is perfect has come,
then that which is partial will pass away.
11 When I was a child,
I spoke like a child,
I thought like a child,
I reasoned like a child.
When I became a man,
I put away childish things.
12 For now we see in a mirror dimly,
but then face to face.
Now I know in part,
but then I will know fully,
even as I have been fully known.
13 But now these three remain—
faith, hope, and love.
And the greatest of these is love.
11 Then the Ruach lifted me up and brought me to the east gate of Adonai’s House, facing east. Behold, at the door of the gate, were 25 men. I saw among them Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, leaders of the people. 2 He said to me, “Son of man, these are the men that devise sin and give wicked counsel in this city, 3 who say, ‘This is not the time to build houses! This city is the cooking pot and we are the meat!’ 4 Therefore, prophesy against them, prophesy, son of man.”
5 Then the Ruach Adonai fell upon me and said to me, “Speak! Thus Adonai says: So you are thinking, house of Israel—for I know the thoughts that come into your mind. 6 You have multiplied your slain in this city and you filled the streets with corpses.”
7 Therefore, thus says Adonai Elohim, “Your corpses you have laid in the midst of it, they are the meat and this city is the cooking pot! But I will bring you out of it. 8 You feared the sword, so I will bring the sword against you.” It is a declaration of Adonai Elohim.
9 “I will bring you out of the midst of it, give you into the hands of strangers and execute judgments against you. 10 You will fall by the sword. I will judge you at the border of Israel. So you will know that I am Adonai. 11 This city will not be your cooking pot nor will you be the meat in the midst of it—I will judge you at Israel’s border. 12 So you will know that I am Adonai, whose laws you did not follow and whose ordinances you did not obey. Instead, you have acted in accord with the ordinances of the nations around you.”
13 As I prophesied, Pelatiah son of Benaiah dropped dead. I fell upon my face and cried out with a loud voice and said, “Ah, Adonai! Are you going to completely eradicate the remnant of Israel?”
14 The word of Adonai came to me saying: 15 “Son of man, as for your kinsmen, your kinsmen, fellow exiles and the whole house of Israel—all of them—are those about whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem said, ‘Keep far away from Adonai! This land has been given to us for a possession!’” 16 Therefore say, thus says Adonai Elohim, “Though I removed them far away, among the nations, though I scattered them among the countries, yet for a little while I was a sanctuary for them in the countries where they have gone.”
Heart of Stone to Heart of Flesh
17 Therefore say, thus says Adonai Elohim, “I will gather you from the peoples and collect you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel. 18 When they come there, they will remove all of its detestable things and all of its abominations. 19 Then I will give them one heart. I will put a new Spirit within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, 20 so that they may follow My laws, keep My ordinances and practice them. They will be My people and I will be their God. 21 As for those whose heart walks after the heart of their detestable things and abominations, I will bring their ways upon their heads.” It is a declaration of Adonai Elohim.
The Glory Departs Jerusalem
22 Then the cheruvim lifted up their wings. The wheels were beside them. The glory of the God of Israel was over them from above. 23 The glory of Adonai went up from within the city and then stood still on the mountain that is to the east of the city. 24 The Ruach lifted me and brought me in the vision by the Ruach Elohim to Chaldea, to the exiles. Then the vision that I had seen left me. 25 So I told the exiles all the things that Adonai had shown me.
A Sacrifice of Thanks
Psalm 50
1 A psalm of Asaph.
God, Elohim Adonai has spoken and summoned the earth
from the rising of the sun to its setting.
2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God shines forth.
3 Our God comes, and does not keep silent.
A fire is devouring before Him,
and it storms around Him mightily.
4 He calls to the heavens above
and to the earth, to judge His people:
5 “Gather My kedoshim to Me,
who cut a covenant with Me with a sacrifice.”
6 The heavens declare His righteousness,
for God Himself is Judge. Selah
7 “Hear, My people, and I will speak,
O Israel, and I will testify against you:
I am God, your God.
8 I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices,
for your burnt offerings are continually before Me.
9 I have no need of a bull from your house
nor goats from your pens.
10 For every beast of the forest is Mine,
and the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I know every bird of the mountains.
Everything moving in the field is Mine.
12 If I were hungry, I would not tell you—
for the world is Mine and all it contains!
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls
or drink the blood of goats?
14 Offer God a sacrifice of thank offerings,
then fulfill your vows to Elyon.
15 Call upon Me in the day of trouble.
When I rescue you, you will honor Me.”
16 But to the wicked, God says:
“What are you doing, reciting My laws
and taking My covenant in your mouth?
17 For you hate discipline,
and you cast My words behind you.
18 When you see a thief, you are pleased with him,
and your portion is with adulterers.
19 You have unleashed your mouth for evil
and harnessed your tongue for deceit.
20 You sit, speaking against your brother,
slandering your own mother’s son.
21 These things you have done—Should I keep silent?
You thought I was just like you—but I reprove you,
and set the case before your eyes.
22 Now consider this, you who forget God.
Or else I will tear you in pieces with no one to rescue you.
23 A sacrifice of praise honors Me,
and to the one who orders his way,
I will show the salvation of God.”
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.