M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Joab the Terminator
20 Now a worthless fellow happened to be there, a Benjamite named Sheba son of Bichri. He blew the shofar and said, “We have no portion in David, no inheritance in the son of Jesse! Every man to his tents, O Israel!” 2 So all the men of Israel withdrew from following David and followed Sheba son of Bichri, but the men of Judah kept close to their king from the Jordan to Jerusalem.
3 Now when David arrived at his palace in Jerusalem, the king took the ten women, the concubines whom he had left to take care of the palace, and put them in a guarded house. He provided for them but he did not cohabit with them. So they were confined until the day they died, living in widowhood.
4 Then the king said to Amasa, “Summon to me the men of Judah within three days and be here yourself.” 5 So Amasa went to summon Judah but he took longer than the set time that he had allotted him.
6 Then David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom. So take your lord’s servants and pursue him lest he find for himself fortified cities and escape from our sight.” 7 So Joab’s men went after him, along with the Cherethites, the Pelethites, and all the mighty men, and set out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba son of Bichri. 8 When they were at the great stone that is in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Now Joab was dressed in his military uniform, and over it was a belt with a sword in its sheath fastened on his waist; and as he stepped forward, it fell out. 9 Then Joab said to Amasa, “Is it well with you my brother?” With his right hand Joab took Amasa by the beard to kiss him. 10 But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab’s other hand. So he stabbed him with it in the groin and poured out his entrails to the ground, and did not strike him again, for he died.
Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bichri. 11 Meanwhile, one of Joab’s young men stood over Amasa and said, “Whoever favors Joab and whoever is for David, let him follow Joab!” 12 Yet Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the midst of the highway. So when the man saw that all the people stood still, he dragged Amasa from the highway into the field and threw a garment over him because he saw that everyone passing by him paused. 13 Once he removed him from the highway, everyone passed on, following Joab to pursue Sheba son of Bichri.
14 Now he went through all the tribes of Israel, to Abel and Beth-Maacah. All the Berites gathered together and indeed followed him. 15 They came and besieged him in Abel of Beth-Maacah and cast up a siege ramp against the city. It stood against the outer fortification and all the people with Joab battered the wall in order to topple it.
16 Then a wise woman cried out from the city, “Listen! Listen! Please tell Joab to come over here that I may speak with him.” 17 When he approached her, the woman asked, “Are you Joab?”
“I am,” he answered.
Then she said to him, “Listen to the words of your handmaid.”
“I’m listening,” he answered.
18 Then she spoke up saying, “They used to say in old time, ‘They shall surely seek counsel at Abel and that’s how they settled any dispute. 19 I am of those who are peaceable and faithful in Israel. Are you seeking to destroy a mother city in Israel? Why would you devour Adonai’s inheritance?”
20 Joab replied saying, “Never! Far be it from me that I would devour up or ruin. 21 The matter is not so; but a fellow from the hill country of Ephraim, Sheba son of Bichri his name, has lifted up his hand against King David. Give him up alone and I will withdraw from the city.”
So the woman replied to Joab, “Look here, his head will be thrown to you over the wall.” 22 Then the woman approached all the people wisely. So they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bichri and threw it over to Joab. He then blew the shofar and they were dismissed from the city, each to his tent. Then Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.
23 Now Joab remained over all the army of Israel; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; 24 Adoram was over the forced labor; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder; 25 Sheba was scribe; Zadok and Abiathar were kohanim; 26 and Ira the Jairite also was a kohen to David.
Final Warnings
13 This is the third time I am coming to you. “By the testimony[a] of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.” [b] 2 I spoke a warning, when I was with you the second time. Though now I am away, I am again speaking a warning to those who have sinned before, as well as to all the rest, that if I come again, I will not spare anyone— 3 since you are demanding proof that Messiah is speaking through me. He is not weak toward you, but powerful among you. 4 For He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives through the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, yet we shall live with Him by God’s power toward you.
5 Test yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Examine yourselves! Or don’t you know yourselves—that Messiah Yeshua is in you? Unless of course you failed the test. 6 But I hope that you will realize that we haven’t failed the test. 7 Now we pray to God that you do no wrong—not so that we may appear to have passed the test, but in order that you may do what is right even if we may seem to have failed. 8 For we can do nothing against the truth, but only for the truth. 9 For we rejoice when we are weak and you are strong. We also pray for this—your perfecting. 10 For this reason I write these things while I am absent, so that when I am present I need not proceed harshly, according to the authority which the Lord gave me—for building up and not for tearing down.
Final Greetings
11 Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Aim for restoration, encourage one another, be of the same mind, live in shalom—and the God of love and shalom will be with you.
12 Greet one another with a holy kiss.
All the kedoshim greet you.[c]
13 The grace of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah and the love of God and the fellowship of the Ruach ha-Kodesh be with you all. Amen.
27 The word of Adonai came to me saying: 2 “You, son of man, lift up a lament for Tyre.
3 Say to Tyre, dwelling at the entrance of the sea,
the merchant to the people of many coastlands,
thus says Adonai Elohim:
‘Tyre, you said: “I am perfect in beauty!’
4 Your borders are in the heart of the seas,
your builders perfected your beauty.
5 All your planks have been fashioned
from cypress trees of Senir.
They took a cedar from Lebanon
to make a mast for you.
6 They made your oars from Bashan’s oaks.
Of boxwood from the islands of Kittim
they made your decks, inlaid with ivory.
7 Fine Egyptian linen was your sail,
serving as a banner for you.
Your awning was blue and purple
from the coasts of Elishah.
8 The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad were your rowers.
Your skilled men, Tyre, were on you
—they were your sailors.
9 The elders of Gebal and her experts were within you,
caulking your leaks.
All the ships of the sea with their sailors
were with you to trade for your wares.
10 Persia, Lud and Put were in your army,
our men of war.
They hung the shield and helmet in you;
they gave you splendor.
11 Men of Arvad and Helech were all
around on your walls,
the Gammadim were in your towers.
They hung their shields all around on your walls.
They perfected your beauty.
12 “‘Tarshish was your trading partner because of the abundance of all riches. With silver, iron, tin, and lead, they traded for your merchandise. 13 Javan, Tubal and Meshech were your traffickers—they gave lives of people and vessels of bronze for your wares. 14 Those from the house of Togarmah traded for your merchandise with horses, steeds and mules. 15 The men of Dedan traded with you; many coastlands were your customers; they brought you horns of ivory and ebony as your payment. 16 Aram was your customer because of your abundant goods—they traded for your merchandise with emerald, purple and embroidered cloth, fine linen, coral and rubies. 17 Judah and the land of Israel were your customers; they traded for your wares with wheat of Minnith, confections, honey, oil and balm. 18 Damascus was your customer because of the abundance of your goods and all your great wealth, with the wine of Helbon and wool of white[a]. 19 Vedan and Javan from Uzal traded for your wares—ironwork, cinnamon and spices were bartered for your merchandise. 20 Dedan was your dealer in saddlecloth for riding. 21 Arabia and all the princes of Kedar were your favored trading partners in lambs, rams and goats; in these they were your customers. 22 The merchants of Sheba and Raamah were your vendors—they traded for your wares with the finest spices, all precious stones and gold. 23 Haran and Canneh and Eden, the merchants of Sheba, Asshur and Chilmad traded with you. 24 They traded for your merchandise with gorgeous fabrics, garments of blue and richly woven work, carpets of multi-colored material, with cords twisted and tightly knotted. 25 The ships of Tarshish serve as carriers for your wares.
“‘So you were filled and heavily loaded
in the heart of the seas.
26 Your rowers have brought you
into great waters.
But the east wind will break you
in the heart of the seas.
27 Your riches, your wares, your merchandise,
your sailors, your pilots, your caulkers,
the traders of your merchandise,
all your men of war that are in you,
with all your company in your midst
will fall into the heart of the seas
on the day of your downfall.
28 At the sound of the cry of your pilots
the countryside will shake.
29 All the oarsmen, the sailors
and all the mariners of the sea
will come down from their ships
to stand on the ground.
30 They will raise their voices over you
and cry bitterly.
They will throw up dust on their heads.
They will roll themselves in ashes.
31 They will shave themselves bald for you
and put on sackcloth.
They will weep for you with bitter soul,
with bitter lament.
32 In their wailing they will take up a lament for you.
They will mourn over you:
“Who was like Tyre—
silenced in the midst of the sea?”
33 When your merchandise came out from the seas,
you satisfied many people.
With the abundance of your wealth and your wares
you enriched the kings of the earth.
34 Now you are shattered by the seas
in the depths of the waters.
Your merchandise and all your company
have fallen in your midst.
35 All the inhabitants of the coastlands
are appalled at you.
Their kings are horribly afraid,
their faces are convulsed.
36 The merchants among the people hiss at you.
You have become a horror
and will be no more.’”
He Lowers One and Lifts Another
Psalm 75
1 For the music director: “Do not Destroy,” a psalm of Asaph, a song.
2 We praise You, we praise God,
for Your Name is near.
People declare Your wonders.
3 “When I appoint a set time,
I Myself will judge uprightly.
4 When the earth wavers with living on it,
I Myself hold its pillars firm. Selah
5 I say to the arrogant, ‘No more boasting!’
And to the wicked,
‘Do not be lifting up your horn.’
6 Do not lift your horn up high.
Do not speak with outstretched neck.”
7 For exaltation comes
not from the east nor from the west,
nor even from the desert.
8 For God is the Judge:
He lowers one and lifts up another.
9 For in the hand of Adonai is a cup of foaming wine mixed with spices,
and He pours it out.
Surely all the wicked of the earth will drink,
draining it down to the dregs.[a]
10 But I—I will declare it forever,
I will sing praise to the God of Jacob.
11 I will cut off all the horns of the wicked,
but the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.
Who Can Stand in Your Presence?
Psalm 76
1 For the music director, on stringed instruments: a psalm of Asaph, a song.
2 In Judah God is known.
In Israel His Name is great.
3 In Salem is His sukkah
and His dwelling place in Zion.
4 There He broke the fiery shafts of the bow,
the shield, the sword, and the battle. Selah
5 You are brilliant,
more majestic than nourishing mountains.
6 The valiant have been plundered—
they slumbered in their sleep.
The mighty could not lift their hands.
7 At Your rebuke, O God of Jacob,
both horse and rider lay dead asleep.
8 You are awesome, yes You are!
Who can stand in Your presence once You are angry?
9 From heaven You pronounced judgment.
The earth feared and was still—
10 when God rose up to judgment,
to save all the humble of the land. Selah
11 For wrath upon man will bring You praise,
a remnant of wrath You put on as a belt.
12 Make vows to Adonai your God and fulfill them.
Let all around Him bring tribute to the One who is to be feared.
13 He cuts off the breath of princes.
The kings of earth are in awe of Him.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.