M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
16 Now when David had passed a little beyond the summit, there was Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth to meet him with a pair of saddled donkeys, and on them 200 loaves of bread, 100 clusters of raisins, 100 fig cakes and a bottle of wine. 2 So the king asked Ziba, “What are you doing with these?”
Ziba said, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride on, the bread and the figs are for the young men to eat, and the wine is for anyone who faints in the wilderness to drink.”
3 Then the king asked, “And where is your master’s son?”
“Well, he’s staying in Jerusalem,” Ziba said to the king, “for he said, ‘Today the house of Israel will restore to me the kingdom of my father.”
4 Then the king said to Ziba, “Behold, all that belongs to Mephibosheth is yours.”
“I bow low,” Ziba said. “Let me find favor in your eyes, my lord the king.”
5 When King David arrived at Bahurim, behold, just coming out from there was a man of the family of the house of Saul—his name was Shimei son of Gera. As he came out, he kept on cursing 6 and flinging stones at David and at all King David’s servants, while all the people and all the mighty men were at his right hand and on his left. 7 Thus Shimei said as he cursed, “Get out, get out! The man of bloodshed, the good-for-nothing! 8 Adonai has returned on you all the blood of Saul’s house, in whose place you’ve reigned. Adonai has handed the kingdom over to your son Absalom—so see, your own evil has overtaken you, because you are a man of bloodshed.”
9 Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why let this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over now and take off his head!”
10 But the king said, “What have I to do with you, sons of Zeruiah? If he curses, it’s because Adonai has said to him, ‘Curse David!’ So who should say, ‘Why did you do so?’” 11 Then David said to Abishai and to all his officials, “Look, my son who came from my own body is seeking my life—how much more this Benjamite? Leave him alone and let him curse, since Adonai has told him. 12 Perhaps Adonai will look on my affliction and return good to me for his cursing this day.” 13 So David and his men continued on the way, while Shimei kept walking alongside the hill parallel with him, cursing as he walked, casting stones at him and throwing dirt.
14 Finally the king and all the people that were with him arrived weary, so he refreshed himself there.
Counselors Divided
15 Meanwhile Absalom and all the people of the men of Israel arrived in Jerusalem. Ahithophel was with him. 16 Now when David’s friend Hushai the Archite came to Absalom, Hushai said to Absalom, “Long live the king! Long live the king!”
17 But Absalom said to Hushai, “Is this your loyalty to your friend? Why did you not go with your friend?”
18 “No!” said Hushai to Absalom. “For the one whom Adonai has chosen—as well as these people, all the men of Israel—his I will be and with him I will stay. 19 Besides, whom should I serve? Shouldn’t I be in the presence of his son? As I have served in your father’s presence, so I will be in your presence.”
20 Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give your counsel. What should we do?”
21 So Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Go to your father’s concubines whom he has left to take care of the palace. Then all Israel will hear that you have made yourself abhorrent to your father and the hands of all who are with you will also be strengthened.”
22 So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and Absalom went to his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel. 23 Now in those days the counsel that Ahithophel gave was like inquiring for the word of God—so was all of Ahithophel’s counsel both with David and with Absalom.
9 Now about this service to the kedoshim, it is indeed unnecessary for me to write to you— 2 for I know your eagerness. I boast about it to the Macedonians, that Achaia has been preparing for a year already; and your zeal has stirred up most of them. 3 But I am sending the brothers in order that our boasting about you may not be in vain in this case, so that you may be prepared, just as I kept saying. 4 Otherwise, if any Macedonians were to come and find you unprepared, we—not to mention you—would be put to shame in this undertaking. 5 So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to go on to you and arrange ahead of time your generous gift that had been promised beforehand, so that it would be ready as a gift and not as an extortion.
Sowing and Reaping Generosity
6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully. [a] 7 Let each one give as he has decided in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion—for God loves a cheerful giver. [b] 8 And God is able to make all grace overflow to you, so that by always having enough of everything, you may overflow in every good work. 9 As it is written,
“He scattered widely, He gave to the poor;
His righteousness endures forever.”[c]
10 Now the One who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed and increase the harvest of your righteousness. [d] 11 You will be enriched in everything for all generosity, which through us brings about thanksgiving to God. 12 For this service of giving is not only supplying the needs of the kedoshim, but is also overflowing with many thanksgivings to God. 13 Because of the evidence of this service, they praise God for the obedience of your affirmation of the Good News of Messiah and for the generosity of your contribution to them and to everyone. 14 And in their prayer for you, they long for you because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. 15 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!
Jerusalem and Samaria take Lovers
23 The word of Adonai came to me saying: 2 “Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother. 3 They were harlots in Egypt; they were harlots in their youth; their bosoms were caressed there and their virgin breasts were fondled. 4 Their names were Oholah, the older one, and Oholibah,[a] her sister. They became Mine, and they gave birth to sons and daughters. As for their names, Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem.
5 “Oholah prostituted herself, though she was Mine. She lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians, warriors, 6 dressed in blue, governors and rulers, all of them handsome young men, horsemen riding on horses. 7 She prostituted herself with them, all of the choice men of Assyria. She defiled herself with all the idols of everyone she lusted after. 8 She did not give up her harlotry in Egypt; for in her youth they had lain with her. They fondled her virgin breasts and poured out their lust on her. 9 Therefore I gave her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the Assyrians, whom she lusted after. 10 They stripped her naked, they took her sons and her daughters and slaughtered her with the sword. She became notorious among women. Judgments were executed upon her.
11 “Now her sister Oholibah saw this, yet she was more depraved in her lust than her sister and her promiscuous acts worse. 12 She lusted after the Assyrians, governors and rulers, warriors splendidly clad, horsemen riding on horses, all of them handsome young men. 13 I saw that she defiled herself; they both went the same way. 14 But she kept increasing her harlotry. She saw men carved on the wall, the images of the Chaldeans carved in red, 15 girded with sashes on their loins, with flowing turbans on their heads, all of them had the appearance of officers, the likeness of Babylonians of Chaldea, the land of their birth. 16 As soon as she saw them she lusted after them. She sent messengers to them in Chaldea. 17 The Babylonians came to her, to the bed of love, and defiled her with their lust. Yet when she was defiled by them, she turned away from them in disgust. 18 When she exposed her harlotry and uncovered her nakedness, My soul was disgusted by her, just as My soul was disgusted by her sister. 19 Yet she multiplied her harlotry—remembering the days of her youth, when she was a harlot in the land of Egypt. 20 She lusted after their paramours, whose flesh is like the flesh of donkeys, and whose issue is like that of horses. 21 So you revisited the promiscuity of your youth, when the Egyptians used to fondle your bosom and youthful breasts.
22 “Therefore Oholibah, thus says Adonai Elohim, behold, I will stir up your lovers against you, from whom you turned in disgust. I will bring them against you on every side: 23 the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, Pekod, Shoa and Koa and all the Assyrians with them, handsome young men, governors and rulers all of them, commanders and officers, all of them riding on horses. 24 They will come against you with armed chariots, whirling wheels and an assembly of people. They will set themselves against you on every side with armor, shield and helmet. I will delegate judgment to them, so they will judge you according to their standards of justice. 25 I will vent My jealousy against you, letting them deal with you in fury. They will cut off your nose and your ears, and your survivors will fall by the sword. They will take your sons and your daughters, and your survivors will be devoured by fire. 26 They will strip your clothes and take your beautiful jewelry. 27 I will put an end to you and your immorality brought from the land of Egypt. You will no longer lift your eyes toward them or remember Egypt anymore.”
28 For thus says Adonai Elohim: “Behold, I will give you into the hand of those you hate, into the hand of those you turned away from in disgust. 29 They will treat you with hatred, take all your property and leave you naked and exposed. The vulgarity of your prostitutions will be uncovered—your debauchery and your promiscuity. 30 These things will be done to you, for you have gone as a harlot after the nations, so you are defiled with their idols. 31 You have walked in the way of your sister, so I will give her cup into your hand.”
32 Thus says Adonai Elohim:
“You will drink of your sister’s cup,
which is deep and wide.
You will be for laughter and ridicule.
It holds so much!
33 You will be filled with drunkenness and agony,
a cup of horror and desolation—
the cup of your sister Samaria.
34 You will drink it and drain it,
gnaw its shards and tear your breasts.
For I have spoken.”
It is a declaration of Adonai.
35 Therefore thus says Adonai Elohim: “Because you have forgotten Me and thrust Me behind your back, you will also bear your obscenity and your harlotry.”
36 Then Adonai said to me, “Son of man, will you pass judgment on Oholah and Oholibah? Confront them with their disgusting practices. 37 For they have committed adultery and blood is on their hands. They have committed adultery with their idols and even offered their children, whom they bore for Me, to be devoured. 38 Again, this they have done to Me—they defiled My Sanctuary on the same day and profaned My Shabbatot. 39 On the same day that they slaughtered their children to their idols, they came into My Sanctuary to profane it. See, that is what they have done within My House!
40 “Furthermore, they sent for men who come from far away. A messenger was sent to them, and look, they came! For them you bathed, painted your eyes and decked yourself with jewelry. 41 You sat on a glorious bed, with a table arranged before it, on which you set out My incense and My oil. 42 The sound of a carefree crowd was with her. Many of the men who came from the desert were drunkards. They put bracelets on their hands and beautiful crowns on their heads.”
43 Then I said about her, worn out from harlotry: “Still they commit immorality with her—even her? 44 They keep going to her, as they go to a prostitute. So they went to Oholah and to Oholibah—the obscene women. 45 Righteous men would judge them as adulteresses are judged and as those who shed blood are judged. For they are adulteresses, and blood is on their hands.”
46 For thus says Adonai Elohim: “Bring up an assembly against them. Give them over to terror and plunder. 47 The assembly will stone them to death and dispatch them with their swords. They will slaughter their sons and daughters. They will burn down their houses. 48 So I will make obscenity cease from the land, that all women may be taught not to imitate your obscenity. 49 They will repay you both for wickedness and you will bear the sins of your idols. So you will know that I am Adonai.”
My Help and My Deliverer
Psalm 70
1 For the music director, of David, for a memorial.
2 O God, come quickly to deliver me,
Adonai, to help me.
3 May they be put to shame and disgrace
who seek my life.
May they be turned back in humiliation
who delight in my hurt.
4 May those who say, “Aha! Aha!”
be turned away because of their shame.
5 But may all who seek You
rejoice and be glad in You.
May those who love Your salvation
always say, “Let God be magnified.”
6 But I am poor and needy—
God, come quickly to me.
You are my help and my deliverer—
Adonai, do not delay.
My Hope When I Am Gray
Psalm 71
1 In You, Adonai, have I taken refuge.
Let me never be ashamed.
2 Deliver me and rescue me in Your justice.
Turn Your ear to me and save me.
3 Be to me a sheltering rock where I may always go.
Give the command to save me—
for You are my rock and my fortress.
4 My God, rescue me out of the hand of the wicked,
out of the grasp of an evil, ruthless man.
5 For You are my hope, Adonai my Lord—
my trust from my youth.
6 From my birth I have leaned on You.
You took me out of my mother’s womb.
My praise is always about You.
7 I am like an ominous sign to many,
but You are my strong refuge.
8 My mouth is filled with Your praise
and with Your glory all day.
9 Do not cast me away in the time of old age.
When my strength fails, do not forsake me.
10 For my enemies speak against me.
Those who watch for my soul conspire together,
11 saying: “God has forsaken him—
Pursue and take him, for no one will deliver.”
12 O God, be not far from me!
My God, come quickly to help me.
13 Let the accusers of my soul
be disgraced and destroyed.
Let those who seek to harm me
be covered with scorn and confusion.
14 But I—I will hope continually
and will praise You more and more.
15 My mouth will recount Your justice and Your salvation all day,
though I do not know the sum of them.
16 I come because of the mighty deeds of Adonai my Lord.
I will remember Your righteousness—Yours alone.
17 God, You taught me from my youth,
and I still keep declaring Your wonders.
18 So even until I am old and gray, O God, do not forsake me,
till I tell of Your strong arm to the next generation,
Your might to all who are to come.
19 For Your righteousness, O God,
reaches to high heaven.
You have done great things—O God,
who is like You?
20 You made me see many troubles and evils
—You will revive me again—
from the depths of the earth
You will bring me up again.
21 You will increase my greatness,
and comfort me once again.
22 So I will praise You with the harp for your truth, O my God.
I will sing praises to You with the lyre O Holy One of Israel.
23 My lips will shout for joy
—when I sing praises to You—
and my soul, which You have redeemed.
24 Also my tongue will tell of Your righteousness all day.
For those who seek my hurt have been put to shame and confusion.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.