M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Absalom’s Revolt
15 Now it came about after this that Absalom provided himself with a chariot, horses and 50 men as runners before him. 2 Absalom used to rise up early and stand beside the road to the city gate. Whenever anyone had a suit to come to the king for justice, then Absalom would call to him and say, “What town are you from?” Should he answer, “Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel,” 3 Absalom would say to him, “See, your claims are good and right, but there is no one assigned to you by the king to hear you.” 4 Moreover, Absalom would say, “If only I were appointed judge in the land, then every man who has any suit or case would come to me, and I would get him justice!” 5 Also, whenever anyone approached to bow to him, he would stretch his hand, take hold of him, and kiss him. 6 So Absalom kept doing this to everyone of Israel who came to the king for judgment. Thus Absalom stole the hearts of the people of Israel.
7 At the end of 40 years Absalom said to the king, “Please let me go to Hebron and pay my vow which I have vowed to Adonai. 8 For your servant vowed a vow while I was still living at Geshur in Aram saying, ‘If Adonai will indeed bring me back to Jerusalem, then I will serve Adonai.’”
9 So the king said to him, “Go in shalom.”
Then he rose and went to Hebron. 10 But Absalom sent spies to all the tribes of Israel to say, “As soon as you hear the sound of the shofar, then you are to say, ‘Absalom has become king in Hebron!’” 11 Now 200 men from Jerusalem went with Absalom, who were invited and were going innocently, knowing nothing of the situation. 12 Also Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor from his town Giloh, while he was offering the sacrifices. So the conspiracy gained momentum for the people following Absalom continued to increase.
13 Then a messenger came to David saying, “The hearts of the men of Israel are following Absalom.”
David’s Exodus from Jerusalem
14 Then David said to all his officials who were with him in Jerusalem, “Arise, and let us flee, or else none of us will escape from Absalom. Leave in haste or else he will overtake us quickly and bring disaster down on us and strike the city with the edge of the sword.”
15 Then the king’s officials said to the king, “Behold, your servants are ready to do whatever our lord the king chooses.” 16 So the king set out, and his entire household followed him. But the king left behind ten concubines to take care of the palace. 17 As the king went out and all the people after him, they paused at the last house. 18 All his servants passed on beside him: all the Cherethites, all the Pelethites and all the Gittites—600 men that had come after him from Gath—passed on before the king. 19 Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why should you also go with us? Go back and stay with the king, for you are a foreigner and also an exile from your own place. 20 Your arrival was only yesterday—should I make you wander around with us today, to go wherever I may go? Go back and take your kinsmen back with you. Kindness and truth be with you!”
21 But Ittai answered the king and said, “As Adonai lives, and as my lord the king lives, surely in whatever place my lord the king will be, whether for death or for life, there also will your servant be.”[a]
22 So David said to Ittai, “Go on and cross over.” So Ittai the Gittite passed on, with all his men and all the little children who were with him. 23 While all the country was weeping with a loud voice, all the people were crossing over as the king was crossing over Kidron Valley. So all the people crossed over toward the road of the wilderness.
24 Then behold, Zadok also came and all the Levites with him, carrying the ark of the covenant of God. They set down the ark of God, then Abiathar came up, until all the people had passed by, out of the city. 25 But the king said to Zadok, “Return the ark of God to the city. If I find favor in Adonai’s eyes, He will bring me back, and let me see it and His dwelling. 26 But if He says thus, ‘I have no delight in you,’ here I am, let Him do to me as seems good in His eyes.” 27 The king also said to Zadok the priest, “Do you not see? Return to the city in shalom with your two sons with you, Ahimaaz your son and Jonathan son of Abiathar. 28 See, I will wait at the fords of the wilderness, until word comes from you to inform me.” 29 Therefore Zadok and Abiathar carried the ark of God back to Jerusalem, and they remained there.
30 Then David continued to go up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he ascended. He had his head covered and was walking barefoot. So all the people with him each covered his head as they went up, weeping as they ascended.
31 Then someone told David saying, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” So David prayed, “Adonai, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.”
32 Then David went on until he reached the summit—where God was worshiped—and behold, Hushai the Archite met him with his coat rent and dust on his head. 33 David said to him, “If you pass on with me then you will be a burden to me, 34 but if you return to the city and say to Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king—I was your father’s servant from then, but now I will be your servant,’ then you can thwart Ahithophel’s counsel for me. 35 Won’t you have with you Zadok and Abiathar the kohanim there? So whatever you hear from the royal palace, you should report it to Zadok and Abiathar the kohanim. 36 See, they have their two sons with them there, Zadok’s son Ahimaaz, and Abiathar’s son Jonathan—by them you can send to me everything you hear.” 37 So David’s friend Hushai reached the city just as Absalom was entering Jerusalem.
Eagerness to Give
8 Now we make known to you, brothers and sisters, the grace God has given to Messiah’s communities in Macedonia— 2 that in much testing by affliction, the abundance of their joy and their extreme poverty overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3 For I testify that according to their ability, and even beyond their ability, they gave of their own free will— 4 begging us with much urging for the favor of sharing in the relief of the kedoshim. 5 Moreover, it was not just as we had hoped, but they gave of themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will. 6 So we urged Titus that, just as he had made a start before, so he should also complete this gracious service for you. 7 But as you excel in everything—in faith and speech and knowledge and all diligence, and in your love for us—also excel in this grace. 8 I am saying this not as a command, but I am trying to prove by the diligence of others the genuineness of your love as well. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah—that even though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that through His poverty you might become rich. 10 Now I give my opinion in this matter, that it is a credit to you that a year ago you were the first to start—not only to do but even to be willing. 11 But now finish doing it, so that just as there was eagerness to be willing, so also to finish it, out of what you have. 12 For if the eagerness is present, the gift is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he doesn’t have. 13 For it is not relief for others and hardship for you, but as a matter of equality. 14 Your abundance at this present time meets their need, so that their abundance may also meet your need—so that there may be equality. 15 As it is written, “He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little.”[a]
An Offering by Special Delivery
16 But thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same devotion for you. 17 For indeed he not only accepted our appeal, but went to you with eagerness and on his own initiative. 18 We are sending along with him the brother whose fame in connection with the Good News has spread throughout all of Messiah’s communities. 19 Not only that, but he has also been appointed by the communities as our travel companion with this gracious gift, which is administered by us for the glory of the Lord Himself and to show our eagerness to help. 20 We are taking this precaution, so that no one will blame us in regard to the way we administer this generous gift. 21 We have regard for what is honorable—not only before the Lord, but also before people. 22 Also with them we are sending our brother whom we have tested many times and found to be diligent in many things, but now even more diligent because of his great confidence in you. 23 As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you; as for our brothers, they are the emissaries of the communities, a glory to Messiah. 24 Therefore, before Messiah’s communities show them the proof of your love and of our boasting about you.
Blood and Injustice
22 The word of Adonai came to me saying: 2 “You, son of man, will you judge? Will you judge the bloody city? So explain to her all her abominations. 3 Say, thus says Adonai Elohim: ‘City that spills blood in her midst and makes idols for herself that defile—her time has come! 4 You have become guilty in your blood that you have spilled, and are defiled by your idols that you have made. So you have brought your days near, and have come up to your years. Therefore I have made you a disgrace to the nations and a mockery to all the lands. 5 Those near and far from you will mock you—with a defiled name and full of turmoil.’
6 “Behold, each prince of Israel has used his own arm’s strength in you to shed blood. 7 Father and mother have been treated with contempt; the outsider has been oppressed in your midst; the orphan and the widow have been mistreated in you. 8 You have despised My holy things and profaned My Shabbatot. 9 Slanderous men are in you in order to shed blood. They have eaten at the mountain shrines; they commit immoral acts in your midst. 10 They have uncovered their fathers’ nakedness in you; they violate women that are in niddah within you. 11 One has been detestable with his neighbor’s wife; another has wickedly defiled his daughter-in-law; yet another has violated his sister, his father’s daughter, in you. 12 They accept bribes in order to shed blood in you; you have taken usurious interest. You have greedily gained by oppressing your neighbors, and you have forgotten Me.” It is a declaration of Adonai.
13 “Now look, I clap My hands at your dishonest gain that you have made and at your bloodshed in your midst. 14 Will your heart’s courage stand or your hands be strong in the days when I deal with you? I, Adonai, have spoken it and will do it. 15 I will scatter you among the nations and disperse you throughout the lands. I will purge your uncleanness from you. 16 You will be defiled in the sight of the nations. Then you will know that I am Adonai.”
17 The word of Adonai came to me saying: 18 “Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to Me—all of them are the copper, tin, iron and lead left inside a furnace—they are the dross of silver.” 19 Therefore, thus says Adonai Elohim: “Because you have all become dross, therefore behold, I will gather you into Jerusalem. 20 As one gathers silver, copper, iron, lead and tin into the furnace, to blow the fire upon it, to melt it; so I will gather you in My anger and in My fury. I will put you in and melt you. 21 I will gather you and blow the fire of My wrath upon you, so you may be melted in the midst of it. 22 As silver is melted in the furnace, so will you be melted within it. So you will know that I Adonai have poured out My fury on you.”
23 The word of Adonai came to me saying: 24 “Son of man, say to her: ‘You are a land that is not cleansed or rained upon in the day of indignation.’ 25 There is a conspiracy of her prophets in her midst, like a roaring lion tearing prey. They have devoured lives, they take wealth and valuables, they multiply widows in her midst. 26 Her kohanim have done violence to My Torah and have profaned My holy things; they have made no distinction between the holy and the profane, nor have they taught the difference between the unclean and the clean. They shut their eyes to My Shabbatot. So I am profaned among them. 27 Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing at prey, spilling blood and destroying lives for dishonest gain. 28 Her prophets have plastered them with whitewash, seeing false visions and predicting lies to them, saying ‘Thus says Adonai Elohim,’ when Adonai has not spoken.
No One in the Breach
29 “The people of the land have oppressively blackmailed, plundered in robbery, wronged the poor and needy and abused the outsider unjustly. 30 I searched for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand in the breach before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it, but I found no one. 31 Therefore I have poured out My fury on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; I have brought their own way upon their heads.” It is a declaration of Adonai.
Scorn and Disgrace, Gall and Vinegar
Psalm 69
1 For the music director, on “Lilies,” of David.
2 Save me, O God,
for the waters
have reached my soul.
3 I have sunk in deep mud,
and there is no footing,
I have come into deep waters,
and a flood sweeps over me.
4 I am worn out by my crying,
my throat is parched,
my eyes fail, waiting for my God.
5 Those who hate me without a cause[a] outnumber the hairs of my head.
Powerful are my enemies who would destroy me with lies.
What I did not steal, must I restore?
6 O God, You know my folly,
nor are my trespasses hidden from You.
7 May those who hope in You
not be ashamed because of me,
my Lord, Adonai-Tzva’ot.
May those who seek You
not be disgraced because of me,
O God of Israel.
8 For I have endured scorn for Your sake.
Disgrace has covered my face.
9 I have become a stranger to my brothers,
a foreigner to my mother’s children.
10 For zeal for Your House consumed me—
the insults of those who insulted You have fallen on me.[b]
11 When I wept and fasted—
that became a reproach to me.
12 When I put on sackcloth,
I became a joke to them.
13 Those who sit at the gate chatter about me,
and I am the song of the drunkards.
14 But as for me, my prayer to You, Adonai, is for a time of favor.
O God, in Your great love, answer me with the truth of Your salvation.
15 Deliver me from the mire—
do not let me sink.
Deliver me from those who hate me,
out of the deep waters.
16 Do not let floodwaters sweep over me,
nor the deep swallow me up,
nor the Pit shut its mouth over me.
17 Answer me, Adonai, for good is Your mercy.
With Your great compassion, turn to me.
18 Hide not Your face from Your servant.
For I am in distress—answer me quickly.
19 Draw near to my soul and redeem it.
Ransom me because of my foes.
20 You know my reproach, my shame, my disgrace.
All my adversaries are before You.
21 Scorn has broken my heart, so I am sick.
I looked for sympathy, but there was none,
for comforters, but found none.
22 They put gall in my food,
and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.[c]
23 Let their table before them be a snare,
and what should have been for their well-being,
let it be a trap.
24 Let their eyes be darkened so they cannot see
and their backs be bent forever.[d]
25 Pour out Your indignation on them.
Let Your fierce anger overtake them.
26 Let their encampment be deserted.
Let none dwell in their tents.
27 For they persecute the one You have smitten,
so they tell of the pain
of those You have wounded.
28 Add guilt to their guilt—
may they not come into Your righteousness.
29 May they be wiped out of the book of life
and not be recorded with the righteous.[e]
30 But I—I am afflicted and in pain.
Let Your salvation, O God, set me up on high.
31 I will praise God’s Name with a song,
and magnify Him with praise.
32 It will please Adonai better than an ox
or a bull with horns and hoofs.
33 The humble will see it and be glad.
You who seek God, let your hearts revive.
34 For Adonai hears the needy
and does not despise His captive people.
35 Let heaven and earth praise Him,
the seas and everything moving in them.
36 For God will save Zion,
and rebuild the cities of Judah.
Then they will dwell there and possess it.
37 The children of His servants will inherit it
and those who love His Name will dwell there.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.