M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
The Battle
18 David organized the troops who were with him. He appointed leaders over units of a thousand and units of a hundred. 2 Then David sent the troops out: one third under the command of Joab; one third under the command of Abishai, who was the son of Zeruiah and the brother of Joab; and one third under the command of Ittai from Gath.
The king said to the troops, “I myself will definitely also go with you.”
3 But the troops said, “You will not go, because if we flee, they will not target us. Even if half of us die, they will not target us, for there are ten thousand others like us. No. It is better now that you support us from the city.”
4 So the king said to them, “Whatever seems best to you, I will do.”
The king stood beside the city gate. All the troops marched out by units of a hundred and a thousand. 5 The king gave orders to Joab, Abishai, and Ittai: “For my sake, act gently with the young man Absalom.” All the troops heard the king giving orders to the leaders concerning Absalom.
6 The troops went out into the countryside to confront Israel. The battle took place in the Forest of Ephraim. 7 The men of Israel were defeated there by the followers of David. There was a great slaughter there on that day—twenty thousand. 8 The battle was spread over the entire area. The forest devoured more people than the sword did on that day.
9 Absalom encountered the forces of David. As Absalom was riding on his mule, the mule went under the thick branches of a large terebinth tree, and Absalom’s head caught in the terebinth. He was caught between heaven and earth, and the mule he was riding kept going.
10 A man noticed Absalom and told Joab, “Listen! I saw Absalom hanging in a terebinth tree!” 11 Joab said to the man who had told him, “What! You saw him! Why didn’t you strike him to the ground right there? Then I would have given you ten shekels of silver and a belt.”
12 But the man said to Joab, “Even if I had one thousand shekels of silver weighed out into my hands, I would not reach my hand out against the king’s son. We heard the king command you, Abishai, and Ittai, ‘Watch out for the young man Absalom for me.’ 13 If I had acted irresponsibly with my life[a]—and nothing is hidden from the king—you would not have stood by me.”
14 Joab said, “I will not waste time with you like this.” He took three small spears in his hand, and he hurled them into Absalom’s heart while he was still alive in the middle of the terebinth tree. 15 Ten young men, the ones carrying Joab’s armor and weapons, surrounded Absalom and struck and killed him.
16 Then Joab blew the ram’s horn, and the people turned back from pursuing Israel, because Joab restrained them. 17 They took Absalom and threw him into a large pit in the forest. They raised a huge pile of stones over him.
All Israel fled, everyone to his own tent.[b]
18 During his lifetime Absalom had set up a monument for himself in the Valley of the King, because he said, “I do not have a son to keep my name alive in people’s memory.” He named the monument after himself, and it is called Absalom’s Monument to this day.
19 Ahima’az son of Zadok said, “Let me run and carry the good news to the king that the Lord has delivered him from the power of his enemies.”
20 But Joab said to him, “You are not the man to carry the news today. You may carry the news some other day, but today you should not carry the news, because the king’s son is dead.”
21 Joab then told a Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you saw.”
The Cushite bowed down to Joab and then set out running.
22 But Ahima’az son of Zadok said to Joab again, “No matter what, I really want to run behind the Cushite.”
Joab said, “Why do you want to do this? My son, there is no good news that will bring you any gain for running.” 23 But Ahima’az said, “No matter what, let me run.” So Joab said to him “All right, run then.” Ahima’az ran on the road that followed the plain, and he passed the Cushite.
24 David was sitting between the inner and outer gates of the city. The watchman went up onto the roof of the gatehouse next to the wall. While he was standing watch, he saw a man running all by himself. 25 The watchman called out and told the king. The king said, “If he is alone, he is bringing good news.” The man kept coming and got closer.
26 Then the watchman saw another man running. The watchman called down to the gatekeeper, “Look! There is another man running all by himself!”
The king said, “This one also is bringing good news.” 27 The watchman said, “The way the first man is running looks like the way Ahima’az son of Zadok runs.” The king said, “He is a good man. He is coming with good news.”
28 Ahima’az called out to the king, “Peace.” Then he bowed down to the king with his face to the ground and said, “Blessed is the Lord your God, who delivered up the men who raised their hand against my lord the king.”
29 The king asked, “Is the young man Absalom safe?”
Ahima’az said, “I saw a great uproar at the time when Joab sent the other servant of the king and me, your servant. I do not know what it was about.”
30 The king said, “Step aside. Stay here.” So he stepped aside and just stood there.
31 The Cushite arrived and said, “There is good news for my lord the king, because the Lord has delivered you this day from the power of all who rose up against you.”
32 The king asked the Cushite, “Is the young man Absalom safe?”
The Cushite said, “May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rise up against you with evil intentions be like that young man.”
33 The king was shocked. He went up to the room over the gatehouse. As he was going, he wept and said, “My son Absalom, my son, my son! O Absalom, I wish I had died instead of you. O Absalom, my son, my son.”
Bear With Me
11 I wish that you would be patient with me in regard to a little foolishness—but you are already being patient with me. 2 You see, I am jealous about you, with a godly jealousy, because I promised to present you as a pure virgin to one husband, Christ. 3 But I am afraid that somehow, just as the serpent deceived Eve with his cunning, so also your minds might be led astray from a sincere[a] and pure devotion to Christ. 4 In fact, if someone comes and preaches another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or if you accept a different spirit, which you did not accept before, or a different “gospel,” which you did not welcome before, you put up with it all too well. 5 I do not think that I am in any way inferior to the “super-apostles.” 6 But even if I am an amateur in speech, yet I am not an amateur in knowledge. No, in everything we have clearly demonstrated that to you in every way.
7 Or did I commit a sin by humbling myself, so that you would be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge? 8 I robbed other churches, by receiving support from them to minister to you! 9 And when I was with you and needed something, I did not burden anyone, because when the brothers came from Macedonia, they supplied what I needed. In every way I kept myself from ever being a burden to you, and I will continue to do so. 10 As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting about me will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia. 11 Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do. 12 But what I am doing, and will continue to do, is being done in order to cut off the opportunity of those who want an opportunity to boast that they should be considered equal to us.
13 In fact, such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 So it is no great surprise if his ministers also masquerade as ministers of righteousness. Their end will match their works.
16 I say again, no one should think that I am a fool. But if you do, then receive me as a fool, so that I may boast a little. 17 What I am saying when I boast so confidently is not the way the Lord speaks; rather, it is a foolish manner of speaking. 18 Since many are boasting as the sinful flesh does, I will also boast. 19 You gladly put up with fools, since you are just so wise! 20 In fact, you put up with it if anyone makes you his slave, robs you, takes advantage of you, looks down on you, or strikes you in the face! 21 I am ashamed to say that we were too weak for that!
However bold anyone might be (I am speaking in a foolish way), I am going to be bold too. 22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham’s seed? So am I. 23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I am speaking in a crazy way.) I am even more. I’ve done more hard work, been in prisons more often, been whipped far more, and I’ve been close to death many times. 24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. One time I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. I have spent a night and a day on the open sea. 26 I have often been on journeys, in danger from rivers, in danger from robbers, in danger from my own people, in danger from Gentiles, in danger in the city, in danger in the wilderness, in danger on the sea, in danger among false brothers. 27 I have worked hard and struggled. I’ve spent many sleepless nights. I’ve been hungry and thirsty. I’ve gone without food many times. I’ve been cold and lacked clothing.
28 Besides those external matters, there is the daily pressure on me of my concern for all the churches. 29 Who is weak without my being weak? Who falls into sin without my being distressed?
30 If it is necessary that I boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. 31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is eternally blessed, knows that I am not lying. 32 In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas kept the city of Damascus on alert[b] to arrest me, 33 but I was lowered in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped from his hands.
Oracles Against the Nations
An Oracle Against the Ammonites
25 The word of the Lord came to me.
2 Son of man, set your face toward the Ammonites and prophesy against them. 3 You are to tell the Ammonites: Hear the word of the Lord God. This is what the Lord God says. Because you said “Aha!” against my sanctuary when it was desecrated, and against the land of Israel when it was devastated, and against the house of Judah when they went into exile, 4 therefore, I am about to give you to the people of the East as their possession. They will set up their camps in your midst and place their dwellings among you. They will eat your produce, and they will drink your milk. 5 I will make Rabbah into a camel pasture and Ammon into a sheepfold. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
6 So this is what the Lord God says. Because you clapped your hands and stomped your feet and celebrated against the land of Israel with all the contempt in your soul, 7 therefore, I have stretched out my hand against you, and I have given you as plunder[a] to the nations. I have cut you off from the peoples, and I have made you perish from among the countries. When I have exterminated you, you will know that I am the Lord.[b]
An Oracle Against Moab and Edom
8 This is what the Lord God says.
Because Moab and Seir said, “Look! The house of Judah is just like all the nations,” 9 I am about to open up the flank[c] of Moab from one end to the other: its cities, its border towns, and the glory of the land, Beth Jeshimoth, Baal Meon, and Kiriathaim. 10 I will deliver Moab, together with the Ammonites, into the possession of the people of the East. I will hand them over to the people of the East as their possession so that the Ammonites will no longer be remembered among the nations. 11 I will execute judgments upon Moab, and they will know that I am the Lord.
12 This is what the Lord God says. Because Edom has inflicted bitter revenge on the house of Judah and has incurred great guilt by pursuing revenge against Judah, 13 therefore, this is what the Lord God says. I will stretch out my hand against Edom. I will cut off man and beast from it and turn it into a wasteland. From Teman to Dedan they will fall by the sword. 14 I will take my revenge on Edom by means of my people Israel, and they will carry out my anger and my wrath against Edom. So they will experience my revenge, declares the Lord God.
An Oracle Against the Philistines
15 This is what the Lord God says.
Because the Philistines pursued revenge and carried their revenge to an extreme, with bitter contempt in their soul, in order to destroy Judah with everlasting hatred, 16 therefore, this is what the Lord God says. I am about to stretch out my hand against the Philistines. I will cut off the Kerethites and destroy those who remain by the seacoast. 17 I will carry out great acts of revenge and furious punishments among them, and they will know that I am the Lord when I lay my revenge upon them.
Book III
Psalms 73–89
Psalm 73
Why Do the Wicked Prosper?
Heading
A psalm by Asaph.[a]
The Problem
1 Surely God is good to Israel, to the pure in heart.
2 But as for me, my feet almost slipped out from under me.
I almost lost my footing.[b]
3 I even envied the arrogant when I observed the peace of the wicked.
The Prosperity of the Wicked
4 For there are no struggles at their death.
Their bodies are sturdy.
5 They do not have the trouble common to people.
They are not plagued along with the rest of mankind.
6 Therefore pride is their necklace.
They wear violence like clothing.
7 Their eyes bulge out of their fat.[c]
The schemes of their hearts step over boundaries.
8 They mock. They speak maliciously.
From a high perch they threaten oppression.
9 They set their mouths against the heavens.
Their tongues strut around on earth.
10 Therefore God’s people turn to them,
and they drink it all in.[d]
11 They say, “How can God know?
Does the Most High have knowledge?”
12 See, this is what the wicked are like—
secure forever, they increase in strength.
The Turning Point
13 Have I really kept my heart pure for nothing?
Have I kept my hands clean in vain?
14 I have been plagued all day.
My punishment comes every morning.
15 If I had said, “I will speak like this,”
I would certainly have betrayed the circle of your children.
16 When I tried to understand this, it was very troubling to me,
17 until I went to the sanctuary of God.
Then I understood their end.
The Solution
18 Surely you place them on slippery places.
You cause them to fall into destruction.
19 How quickly they come to ruin,
completely destroyed by terrors!
20 They are like a dream when someone wakes up.
So when you arise, O Lord,
you will despise them like an illusion.
21 Yes, my heart was bitter,
and I was torn up inside.
22 I was unthinking and ignorant.
I was a dumb animal before you.
23 Yet I am always with you.
You hold me by my right hand.
24 With your guidance you lead me,
and afterward, you will take me to glory.
25 Who else is there for me in heaven?
And besides you, I desire no one else on earth.
26 My flesh and my heart fail,
but God is the rock of my heart and my portion forever.
27 No doubt about it!
Those who are far from you will perish.
You destroy all who commit adultery against you.
28 As for me, God’s nearness is good for me.
I have made the Lord God my refuge,
so that I can tell about all your works.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.