M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Nathan Confronts David
12 Then Adonai sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said to him, “There were two men in the same city—one was rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had an exceedingly huge flock and herd, 3 but the poor man had nothing at all, except one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished, and it grew up together with him and his children. It ate from his own morsel and drank from his own cup, and nestled in his bosom, and it was to him like a daughter. 4 Now a traveler came to the rich man, but he was unwilling to take one from his own flock or herd to prepare a meal for the wayfarer who had come to him. Rather, he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man that had come to him.”
5 Then David’s anger blazed hot against the man and he said to Nathan, “As Adonai lives, the man that did this deserves to die! 6 So he must make restitution for the lamb fourfold, because he did such a thing and showed no pity.”
7 Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says Adonai, God of Israel: It is I who anointed you king over Israel, and it is I who delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 I also gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your bosom, and I gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. Now if that were too little, then I would have added to you so much more. 9 Why then have you despised the word of Adonai by doing such evil in My eyes? Uriah the Hittite you have struck down with the sword, and his wife you have taken to be your wife, and him you have slain with the sword of the children of Ammon 10 So now the sword will never depart from your house—because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.
11 “Thus says Adonai: Behold, I am going to raise up evil against you from your own household, and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he will lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. 12 Indeed you have done it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and under the sun.”
13 Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against Adonai.”
Nathan replied to David, “Adonai also has made your sin pass away—you will not die. 14 However, because by this deed you have made the enemies of Adonai greatly blaspheme, so even the child born to you will surely die.” 15 Then Nathan went to his house.
Then Adonai struck the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David and he became very sick. 16 David therefore sought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in and lay all night on the floor. 17 The elders of his household stood beside him in order to get him up from the floor but he was unwilling and would not eat food with them. 18 Then it came to pass on the seventh day that the child died. But David’s servants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they thought, “Behold, while the child was still alive, we spoke to him and he didn’t listen to our voice. So how can we tell him that the child is dead? He might do something terrible!”
19 But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, David perceived that the child was dead. So David asked his servants, “Is the child dead?”
“He is dead,” they said.
20 Then David got up from the floor, washed and anointed himself, and changed his clothes. Then he went to the House of Adonai and worshipped. When he came back to his own palace, he asked for food, so they set food before him and he ate.
21 His servants asked him, “What is this thing you have done? You fasted and wept while the child was still alive, but as soon as the child died, you got up and ate food.”
22 He replied, “While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept, for I thought, ‘Who knows? Adonai might be gracious to me and let the child live.’ 23 But now that he has died, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? It is I who will be going to him, but he will never return to me.”
24 Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba. He went to her and lay with her, and she bore a son and called his name Solomon. Adonai loved him, 25 and He sent word by the hand of the prophet Nathan. So he called his name Jedidiah[a], for Adonai’s sake.
26 Now Joab attacked Rabbah of the children of Ammon and captured the royal city. 27 So Joab sent messengers to David and said, “I have attacked Rabbah and captured the city’s water supply. 28 So now gather the rest of the troops together, camp against the city and capture it. Otherwise I will capture the city myself and it will be named after me.” 29 So David gathered all the troops, went to Rabbah, attacked it and captured it. 30 Then he took the crown of their king from off his head—its weight was a talent of gold and in it was a precious stone—and then it was placed on David’s head. He also brought a vast amount of spoils out of the city. 31 Then he brought out the people who were there and put them to work under saws, iron threshing boards and iron axes, and assigned them to brick making; and thus he did to all the cities of the children of Ammon. Then David and all the troops returned to Jerusalem.
Earthly Tents, Eternal Dwellings
5 For we know that if the tent, our earthly home, is torn down, we have a building from God—a home not made with human hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling— 3 if indeed, after we have put it on, we will not be found naked. 4 For we groan while we are in this tent—burdened because we don’t want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now the One who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the Ruach as a pledge. 6 Therefore we are always confident and know that while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord. 7 For we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So whether at home or absent, we make it our aim to be pleasing to Him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Messiah, so that each one may receive what is due for the things he did while in the body—whether good or bad.
Ambassadors for Messiah
11 Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord,[a] we are trying to persuade people, but what we are is known to God—and I hope it is known to your consciences as well. 12 For we are not commending ourselves to you again, but giving you an opportunity for boasting about us, so that you may have something to answer those who boast in outward appearance and not in the heart. [b] 13 For if we are out of our minds, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14 For the love of Messiah compels us, since we have concluded that One died for all; as a result all died. 15 And He died for all so that those who live might no longer live for themselves, but for the One who died for them and was raised.
16 So from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Messiah according to the flesh, yet now we no longer know Him this way. 17 Therefore if anyone is in Messiah, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. [c] 18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Messiah and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. 19 That is, in Messiah God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them; and He has entrusted the message of reconciliation to us. 20 We are therefore ambassadors for Messiah, as though God were making His appeal through us. We beg you on behalf of Messiah, be reconciled to God. 21 He made the One who knew no sin to become a sin offering on our behalf,[d] so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.
Two Lamentation Songs
19 “As for you, raise a lamentation for the princes of Israel,
2 and say: ‘What was your mother?
A lioness!
Among lions she couched,
among young lions she reared her cubs.
3 When she raised up one of her cubs,
he became a young lion.
When he learned to tear prey,
he devoured people.
4 When the nations heard about him,
he was caught in their pit.
They brought him with hooks
to the land of Egypt.
5 When she saw that she waited in vain,
her hope was lost.
So she took another cub
and made him a young lion.
6 He prowled among the lions.
He became a young lion,
learned to catch prey,
devoured men.
7 He ravaged their widows
and laid waste their cities.
The land and all who were in it
were terrified from his roaring.
8 The nations gathered against him
on every side from the provinces.
They spread their net over him.
He was caught in their pit.
9 They put him in a cage with hooks
and brought him to the king of Babylon.
They brought him in hunting nets.
So his roar was no longer heard
on the mountains of Israel.
10 “Your mother was like a vine in your blood,
planted by the water.
It was fruitful and full of branches
because of abundant water.
11 Its strong rods became rulers’ scepters.
Its height was exalted above the clouds.
It was seen in its height
with the mass of its branches.
12 But it was uprooted in fury.
It was cast down to the ground.
The east wind dried up its fruit.
Its strong branches were broken off and dried up—
fire consumed it.
13 Now it is planted in the wilderness,
in a dry and thirsty land.
14 Fire has spread from its main branch
and devoured its fruit.
No strong branch is left on it
to become a ruler’s scepter.”
This is a lamentation, and it is to be used as a lamentation.
Protect Me from Conspiracies
Psalm 64
1 For the music director, a psalm of David.
2 Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint.
Protect my life from terror of the enemy.
3 Hide me from the conspiracy of evildoers,
from the tumult of workers of iniquity,
4 who sharpened their tongue like a sword,
and aimed their arrow—bitter words,
5 to shoot from hiding at the innocent,
shooting suddenly at him, with no fear.
6 They are firming up their evil plan.
They talk about setting secret traps.
They asked, “Who would see them?”
7 They are plotting injustices:
“We have completed a perfect plot!”
A man’s inward part and heart are deep.
8 But God will shoot them with an arrow—
suddenly their wounds will appear.
9 So their tongue will be their downfall.
All who see them will flee away.
10 Then all men will fear.
So they will declare the work of God,
and ponder what He has done.
11 The righteous will be glad in Adonai and take refuge in Him.
Let all the upright in heart give glory!
Praise is Awaitng You in Zion
Psalm 65
1 For the music director, a psalm, a song of David.
2 Praise is awaiting You in Zion, O God,
and to You the vow will be fulfilled.
3 O You who hear prayer,
to You all flesh will come.
4 Records of sins overwhelm me—
You will atone for our transgressions.
5 Blessed is the one You choose and bring near to dwell in Your courts!
We will be satisfied with the goodness of Your House—Your holy Temple.
6 You respond to us in righteousness with awe-inspiring works
—O God of our salvation—
hope of all ends of the earth and farthest seas,
7 who establishes mountains by His power,
being girded with might,
8 who stills the roaring of the seas,
the roaring of their waves,
and the tumult of the peoples.
9 Those dwelling in the uttermost parts stand in awe of Your signs.
You make morning and evening shout for joy.
10 You visit the land and make it abundant,
greatly enriching it—
the stream of God is full of water.
You prepare their grain,
for so You have prepared the earth.
11 You drench her furrows,
leveling the ridges.
You soften her with showers,
blessing her growth.
12 You crown the year with Your goodness.
Your wagon tracks drip with abundance.
13 Pastures of the wilderness overflow
and hills are robed with joy.
14 Meadows are clothed with flocks
and valleys are covered with grain—
they shout for joy, yes, they sing!
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.