M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
David Weeps Over Absalom
19 The king was shaken. So he went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. As he walked he cried, “My son Absalom! O my son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you! Absalom, my son, my son!”
2 Then Joab was told, “Look, the king is weeping and mourning over Absalom!” 3 So the victory that day was turned into mourning for all the troops, for the troops heard it said that day, “The king is grieving over his son.” 4 So the troops entered into the city stealthily that day, like troops who are ashamed after running away in battle.
5 The king covered his face and cried with a loud voice, “My son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!”
6 Then Joab came into the house to the king and said, “Today you have humiliated all your servants—who this day have saved your life, the lives of your sons and daughters, and the lives of your wives and the lives of your concubines— 7 by loving those who hate you, and hating those who love you! For you have shown today that officers and officials are nothing to you. For today I realize that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead, then it would have pleased you well. 8 So now arise, go out, and speak to the heart of your servants! For I swear by Adonai that if you do not go out, not a single man will stay with you tonight, and that would be worse for you than all the evil that has befallen you from your youth until now.”
9 So the king arose and sat in the gate. When they told all the troops saying, “See, the king is sitting at the gate,” all the troops presented themselves before the king.
David’s Restoration and Grace
Meanwhile, Israel had fled each man to his tent. 10 All the people throughout all the tribes of Israel were at strife saying, “The king delivered us from the hand of our enemies and he saved us from the hand of the Philistines. Yet now he had to flee from the land because of Absalom, 11 but Absalom, whom we anointed over us, has died in battle. So why are we silent about restoring the king?”
12 Then King David sent word to Zadok and Abiathar the kohanim saying, “Speak to the elders of Judah saying, ‘Why should you be the last to bring the king back to his palace? The talk of all Israel had reached the king at his residence. 13 ‘You are my kinsmen, my bone and my flesh! Why then should you be the last to bring back the king?’
14 “Also say to Amasa, ‘Are you not my bone and my flesh? May God do so to me and even more if you do not become my army commander before me continually, in place of Joab!’”
15 Thus he turned the heart of all the men of Judah as one man, and then they sent word to the king, “Come back, you and all your servants.” 16 So the king returned and reached the Jordan. Meanwhile, Judah came to Gilgal in order to meet the king, to escort the king over the Jordan.
17 Then Shimei son of Gera, the Benjamite who was from Bahurim, hurried and came down with the men of Judah to meet King David 18 accompanied by 1,000 men of Benjamin. Also Ziba the servant of Saul’s household, with his 15 sons and 20 slaves, rushed to the Jordan ahead of the king. 19 They ferried across the ford to bring the king’s household and they did whatever seemed good in his eyes. Now, Shimei son of Gera fell down before the king when he was crossing over the Jordan, 20 so he implored the king, “Let my lord not hold me guilty, and not remember the iniquity that your servant committed on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem. Let the king not take it to his heart. 21 For your servant knows that I have sinned. So behold, I have come today the first of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king.”
22 But Abishai son of Zeruiah answered and said, “Shouldn’t Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed Adonai’s anointed?”
23 But David said, “What have I to do with you sons of Zeruiah that you should be my adversary[a] today? Should any man be put to death in Israel this day? Don’t I know that today I am king over Israel?” 24 Then the king said to Shimei, “You shall not die,” and the king swore it to him.
25 Then Mephibosheth son of Saul came down to meet the king. Now he had neither dressed his feet nor trimmed his beard nor washed his clothes from the day the king departed until the day he came home in shalom. 26 Now it came to pass when he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, the king asked him, “Why did you not go with me Mephibosheth?”
27 “My lord the king, my own servant deceived me,” he answered. “For your servant had said, ‘I will saddle a donkey for myself, ride on it and go with the king,’ because your servant is lame. 28 However, he has slandered your servant to my lord the king. But my lord the king is like an angel of God. So do what is good in your eyes. 29 For all my father’s household deserved only death at the hand of my lord the king; yet you set your servant among those eating at your own table! What right do I have yet to cry to the king?”
30 Then the king said to him, “Why do you still speak of your affairs? I have decreed, ‘You and Ziba shall divide the land.’”
31 “So let him take all,” Mephibosheth replied to the king, “as long as my lord the king has come back to his own home in shalom.”
32 Then Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim, and he approached the Jordan with the king to escort him over the Jordan. 33 Now Barzillai was a very aged man—80 years old—and he had provided for the king during his residence at Mahanaim, for he was a very wealthy man. 34 The king said to Barzillai, “Cross over with me, and I will provide for you with me in Jerusalem.” 35 But Barzillai said to the king, “How many years are left of my life that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem? 36 I am now 80 years old. Can I distinguish between good and bad? Can your servant taste what I eat or what I drink? Can I listen any more to the voice of singing men and women? Why then should your servant be yet a burden to my lord the king? 37 Your servant would merely cross over the Jordan with the king. But why should the king reward me with such a reward? 38 Please let your servant go back, and let me die in my own hometown, near the grave of my father and my mother. But look, here is your servant Chimham—let him cross over with my lord the king, and do for him what seems good in your eyes.”
39 The king answered, “Chimham will cross over with me, and I will do for him what seems good in your eyes. Whatever you ask of me, I will do for you.” 40 When all the people had crossed over the Jordan and as the king was about to cross over, the king kissed Barzillai and blessed him, so he returned to his own place.
41 Then the king crossed over to Gilgal, and Chimham and all the people of Judah crossed over with him, and also half the people of Israel escorted the king over. 42 Then all the men of Israel came to the king and said to him, “Why did our brothers, the men of Judah, steal you away by escorting the king and his household over the Jordan, along with all David’s men that were with him?”
43 Then all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, “Because the king is our close relative. So why are you angry over this matter? Have we eaten at all at the king’s cost? Or has he given us any gifts?”
44 Then the men of Israel answered the men of Judah and said, “We have ten shares in the king, so in David we have even more than you. Why then did you despise us? Weren’t we the first to speak of restoring our king?” Yet the words of the men of Judah were harsher than the words of the men of Israel.
Boasting in Visions and Weakness
12 I must go on boasting—though it does no good, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2 I know a man in Messiah (whether in the body I don’t know, or whether out of the body I don’t know—God knows)—fourteen years ago, he was caught up to the third heaven. [a] 3 I know such a man (whether in the body or outside of the body I don’t know—God knows)— 4 he was caught up into Paradise and heard words too sacred to tell, which a human is not permitted to utter. 5 On behalf of such a man I will boast—but about myself I will not boast, except in regard to my weaknesses. 6 For if I should want to boast, I would not be foolish—for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, so that no one may think more of me than what he sees in me or hears from me— 7 even in the extraordinary quality of the revelations. So that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me—a a messenger of satan to torment me,[b] so I would not exalt myself. 8 I pleaded with the Lord three times about this, that it might leave me. 9 But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Messiah may dwell in me. 10 For Messiah’s sake, then, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in distresses, in persecutions, in calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
11 I have become a fool—you drove me to it, for I ought to have been commended by you. For I am in no way inferior to the super-special emissaries—though I am nothing. 12 Truly the signs of an emissary were worked out among you, with patient endurance, by signs and wonders and mighty miracles. 13 For in what respect were you treated worse than the rest of Messiah’s communities—except that I myself did not burden you? Pardon me this injustice!
14 Look, I am ready to come to you this third time, and I will not burden you—for I seek not your possessions, but you! For the children are not obliged to save up for the parents, but the parents for the children. 15 I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you more, am I to be loved less? 16 But be that as it may, I did not burden you myself. Nevertheless, crafty fellow that I am, I caught you with trickery! 17 I haven’t taken advantage of you through any of those I sent to you, have I? 18 I did urge Titus to visit you, and I sent the brother with him. Titus didn’t take any advantage of you, did he? Didn’t we walk in the same spirit, in the same footsteps?
19 All along you’ve been thinking that we are defending ourselves to you.[c] It is before God that we’ve been speaking in Messiah—and all for building you up, loved ones. 20 For I am afraid that perhaps when I come, I may find you not as I wish, or I may be found by you not as you wish—that there may be strife, envy, outbursts of anger, self-seeking disputes, lashon ha-ra, gossip, arrogance, unruly commotions. 21 I am afraid that when I come again my God may humiliate me before you, and I will mourn for many of those who have sinned before and not repented of the impurity and sexual immorality and indecency which they committed.
Downfall of Tyre
26 On the first day of the month in the eleventh year, the word of Adonai came to me saying: 2 “Son of man, because Tyre has said against Jerusalem, ‘Aha, she is shattered, the gateway of the peoples—she is turned over to me! I will be filled, now that she is laid waste!’ 3 Therefore thus says Adonai Elohim: Behold, I am against you, Tyre. I will bring up many nations against you, as the sea brings up its waves. 4 They will destroy the walls of Tyre and tear down her towers. I will sweep her dust from her and make her a bare rock. 5 She will be a place for the spreading of nets in the midst of the sea. For I have spoken it.” It is a declaration of Adonai. “She will become plunder for the nations, 6 and her daughters in the field will be slain by the sword. So they will know that I am Adonai.”
7 For thus says Adonai Elohim: “Behold, from the north I will bring against Tyre Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, king of kings, with horses, with chariots, with horsemen and a vast army of troops. 8 He will slaughter your daughters in the field with the sword. He will build siege works against you, cast up an assault ramp against you and raise up shields against you. 9 He will thrust his battering engines against your walls. He will tear down your towers with his weapons. 10 You will be covered with dust from the multitude of his horses. At the noise of the horsemen, wheels and chariots, your walls will shake, when he enters your gates, as men enter a breached city. 11 With the hoofs of his horses he will trample all your streets. He will kill your people with the sword. The pillars of your strength will come down to the ground. 12 They will rob your riches and plunder your merchandise. They will tear down your walls and destroy your fine houses. They will cast your stones and your lumber and your dust into the midst of the sea. 13 I will put an end to the sound of your songs. The sound of your lyres will no longer be heard. 14 I will make you a bare rock; you will be a place for the spreading of nets, you will be built no more; for I, Adonai, have spoken.” It is a declaration of Adonai.
15 Thus says Adonai Elohim to Tyre: “Will the coastlands not shake at the sound of your downfall—when the wounded groan, when the slaughter is made in your midst? 16 Then all the princes of the sea will come down from their thrones. They will cast aside their robes. They will take off their richly woven garments; they will clothe themselves with trembling; they will sit on the ground. They will tremble every moment and be appalled at you. 17 They will lift a lament for you and say to you:
‘How you have perished
—you who were inhabited from the seas,
the renowned city, strong in the sea,
you and your inhabitants,
who spread their terror
for all your inhabitants!
18 Now the coastlands will tremble in the day of your downfall.
The islands of the sea will be terrified at your demise.’”
19 For thus says Adonai Elohim: “When I make you a desolate city, like the cities that are uninhabited, when I bring the flood upon you and the great waters cover you— 20 then I will bring you down with them who descend into the Pit, to the people of long ago. I will make you dwell in the lowest parts of the earth, like the waste places of old, with those who go down to the Pit, so that you will not be inhabited or radiate splendor in the land of the living. 21 I will make you a horror, and you will no longer exist. Though you are sought for, you will never be found again.” It is a declaration of Adonai Elohim.
Intercession for Restoration of Zion
Psalm 74
1 A contemplative song of Asaph.
Why have You cast us off forever, O God?
Why does Your anger smolder against the flock of Your pasture?
2 Remember Your congregation, which You purchased of old,
redeemed as the tribe of Your inheritance,
and Mount Zion, where You dwelt.
3 Lift Your steps toward the perpetual ruins—
an enemy has done all evil to the Sanctuary!
4 Your adversaries have roared in the midst of Your meeting place.
They have set up their standards as signs.
5 It seemed like bringing up axes
into a thicket of trees—
6 and now all its carved work
they smash with hatchet and hammers!
7 They set Your Sanctuary on fire,
burning it to the ground.
They defiled the dwelling place of Your Name.
8 They said in their hearts: “Let us crush them totally!”
They burned down all the meeting places of God in the land.
9 We do not see our signs.
No longer is there any prophet—
and no one among us knows how long.
10 How long, O God, will the adversary mock?
Will the enemy revile Your Name forever?
11 Why do You hold back Your hand, Your right hand?
Draw it out of Your bosom and consume them!
12 Yet God is my King of old,
working salvation in the midst of the land.
13 You split the sea with Your power.
You smashed the monsters’ heads in the waters.
14 You crushed the heads of Leviathan,
giving him as food to the desert dwellers.
15 You opened up spring and brook.
You dried up ever-flowing rivers.
16 The day is Yours, the night also is Yours.
You provided moon and sun.
17 You set all the borders of earth.
You made summer and winter.
18 Remember how the enemy mocked, Adonai,
and how foolish people despised Your Name.
19 Do not deliver Your turtledove’s soul to the wild beast.
Do not forget the life of Your afflicted ones forever.
20 Look upon the covenant—for haunts of violence
fill the dark places of earth.
21 Do not let the oppressed turn back in shame.
But let the poor and needy praise Your Name.
22 Rise up O God, and defend Your cause.
Remember how the fool mocks You all day.
23 Do not forget the noise of Your foes,
the uproar of those rising up against You,
ascending continually.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.